


blood red (scars and seals)

by nefelibata_yyun



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst, Attempt at Humor, BAMF Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto), BAMF Uchiha Sasuke, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Character Death, Crack Treated Seriously, Crack and Angst, End of the World, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff and Crack, Fuuinjutsu, Fuuinjutsu Master Uzumaki Naruto, M/M, Out of Character Uzumaki Naruto, Overpowered Uzumaki Naruto, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Red-Haired Uzumaki Naruto, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village, War, the naruto from waterfall of truth or whatever
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:55:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 77,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28332000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nefelibata_yyun/pseuds/nefelibata_yyun
Summary: "No, nononono, Sasuke," Naruto desperately grasps at Sasuke's shirt, now fully died a rusty brown copper. He can already feel the elaborate seal tugging. "Seals are my thing, you son of a bitch!""Dobe," Sasuke smirks but it's more of an endearment now. Naruto just wants to see his face one more time but these goddamned tears-"Y-you have to come after me, yeah?" Naruto blabbers. "Promise me, teme. Promise me, Sasuke."Sasuke... doesn't answer."I love you." It was a phrase unspoken and Naruto had wished that Sasuke would've said it for the first timeafterthis five-going-six year war. He can feel the pull of the seal andI don't know what to do- helpmeSasuke.He opens his mouth and Naruto wants to scream at him, yell and demandwhy?but he-"I-"The seal fully activates, the runes shimmering across his limbs, weaving throughout his body and latching onto his soul, his chakra. No. Nonono. Naruto gets pulled fifteen years into the past.I love you too
Relationships: Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Hatake Kakashi, Deidara & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Hyuuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga Hinata & Yamanaka Ino, Karin & Uzumaki Naruto, Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama & Uzumaki Naruto, Tsunade & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Itachi & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto & Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 526
Kudos: 864
Collections: Naruto bests





	1. brown is the colour of dried blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp i read so many darned timetravel fanfictions that i could just write my own
> 
> (so i did)

Naruto startles with alarm because it's too quiet and where's the _explosionsdisasterscreams_ and _death-_

The sky is still hazy with smoke and the air is still pungent with the ever present smell of blood and rotting corpses-

"Kurama," Naruto hisses because for some reason that stinking fox won't let him in. His eyes dart around, observing his surroundings with the cool of a war-hardened shinobi.

He sees barren land devoid of the corpses and the abhorrent humanoid Zetsus. He releases a burst of chakra and can feel Sasuke's chakra responding from around him.

Sasuke's dimension? Relaxing his limbs, Naruto stretches, adrenaline fading, leaving him with bone-deep exhaustion. Days of surviving on soldier pills had done nothing but harm for anyone. Even a chakra tank like Naruto.

Wait. Why had he even slept in the first place? How long has Sasuke been fighting Kaguya for? Is he injured? 

"Oi, Kurama!" Naruto hisses louder this time because Sasuke can't be hurt, right? If he was, then they were fighting a losing war, never mind his Nindo (Naruto can't deny the world ending; can't talk a goddess into repenting). When he doesn't answer, his heart stops and he can feel himself go pale because _where is his fucking tenant-_

"Naruto," Sasuke appears and immediately grips his shoulder. 

"Oh Sasuke, you bastard, thank god," Naruto gasps, relief crashing down on him so heavily that he nearly stumbled. He scrubbed a hand through his scalp of yellow hair- if it even _is_ yellow, with the amount of dirt it'd experienced. "Kurama- Kurama isn't answering me and- Sasuke, what are you doing?"

He was expelling chakra into the ground and what even...

"Doton Jutsu in your own dimension, Sasuke? _W_ _hat are you doing,_ we have a _mad chakra goddess_ to fight!" Then after a beat of the ground shifting, "Don't tell me Kaguya found a way into here." Because if she did then they're screwed. Sasuke could only transport small groups of people into this dimension so-

"Who's watching the survivors?" Naruto asks, terror thrumming through his body.

"No one."

"What the _fuck,_ Sasuke," Naruto growls, anger coiling in his gut even though he _knows_ Sasuke cares as much as Naruto does.

"No, I meant," Sasuke cuts in and looks at Naruto in the eyes and that was when he finally notices the tear streaks running down Sasuke's cheeks, "there's no one left to watch."

_His heart stopped._

_His chest dropped._

_"No one."_

_What._

Sasuke drew his chokuto while Naruto was frozen and slashes his own arm, blood pouring onto the large seal that covered the floor. He didn't even wince. 

"They- they told me to bring you back," Sasuke says, voice wavering, "they volunteered to buy time. Naruto, they believe you; _we_ believe you."

And _damnit_ Sasuke wasn't good with words like Naruto was so he wishes he could do _more._ He looks deeply into Naruto's sky blue eyes that are clouded with confusion and frustration and _wisheshopes and crosseshisdarnfingers_ that he will be safe.

"Back?" Naruto repeats and doesn't acknowledge how his voice breaks (because he _refuses_ to believe that there's no one). 

The chakra seals jump up and wound around Naruto, slowly curling throughout his body and he _recognises_ these seals, and no way it's completed-

"Can't deny the Uzumaki blood," Sasuke smirks, grief colouring his face. And _oh, Karin._

He can feel the seals being absorbed onto his skin and- "Sasuke, these seals are meant to be powered by the Gokage... at least five Kage level chakra capacity worth- you have nothing left- you'll drain yourself!" Naruto's voice steadily rises in volume because they've been fighting nonstop for _weeks._ "You'll die!" 

He yanks away from Sasuke, carefully, because the bastard is wounded, and tries to undo this _admittedly well done, fully completed time travel seal._

Sasuke sluggishly bodily slams into Naruto and practically falls over him in attempt to stop him, weighing both tired bodies on the floor, dust caking their already dirty clothes. Naruto still struggles because he wasn't going to leave the bastard, how dare he-

As soon as the seals reach his chakra core, latching onto his entire being, Naruto can feel the fight draining out of him. The seal attaches to the person then absorbed chakra, leeching energy off of the offered spirit until either the necessary amount was given or... it would use the life force.

He looks up at Sasuke, his face just inches from him and says,

" _Fuck,_ " Tears burn at the back of his eyes. He wants to sob like a child but Sasuke is relying on him. Those lives- the survivors are relying on him. He can't afford to break down now.

He would rather _submit to the Infinite Tsukuyomi_ than let them down.

He pushes his drained body into action; for once forcing his limbs to do something else rather than just _fightpunch-dodge- attack_ and instead, to embrace Sasuke, etching his face, his expression, his _everything_ into his memories. It was then that Naruto wishes for the first time that he had the Sharingan just so he could memorise Sasuke as a whole.

"No, nononono, Sasuke," Naruto desperately grasps at Sasuke's shirt, once white and now fully dyed a rusty brown copper. He can already feel the elaborate seal tugging on him, he pushes it back, stalling for time. "Seals are _my_ thing, you son of a _bitch!_ " Over the course of six years, the army of White Zetsus were wearing seals- strength enhancements, chakra storages, explosion tags and _everything in between,_ so Naruto learnt and _absorbed._

_"It's in his blood," Karin had said primly, still wary of the fact that Naruto had welcomed her so quickly. She was openly displaying her disgruntlement at Naruto's sealing knowledge even though he_ drained _Konoha of all its information_. _"Uzumaki Fuuinjutsu, once a legend, is something no one should underestimate."_

 _Naruto had frowned in thought, "yeah maybe I was always meant to be a seal-person, because Tou-san_ _had completed the Hiraishin; a space-time seal that no one can replicate."_

_Karin had deadpanned, "I'm talking about your mother."_

_Sasuke was watching the interaction with horribly disguised awe- that bastard; never wanting to ask for lessons but in the end he_ had _learnt sealing behind his back_ -

"Dobe," Sasuke smirks but it's an endearment now, a word that brings years of nostalgia. Naruto wipes away the blood that dribbles down Sasuke's chin and tries not to think of how they might never see each other again.

He stares into his onyx eyes, slowly evolving into three tomoes spinning lazily as wisps of his chakra are being poured onto the seal and he can feel his own chakra also feeding the seal, he pushes more in, trying to relieve the amount Sasuke has to spend.

Naruto can already feel the seal on his skin, brimming full with chakra, Sasuke's sharp, cool and deadly chakra, his own; raging yet soothing like the eye of a hurricane and Kurama's-

Wait, Kurama was pumping chakra in from the start so... Sasuke won't be completely exhausted and he can come after him-

"Y-you can repower the seal, right?" Naruto is blabbering, tears spilling involuntarily down his cheeks as hope sparks in him.

(A spark is enough, he tries to think, _but a spark is easily snuffed out)._

"You have to come after me. After you gather your chakra, it's not that much for you. You're super strong and-" Naruto chokes on his words and he forces his throat to keep working. "Promise me, teme. Promise me, Sasuke, _come after me._ "

Sasuke runs his fingers through his now long straight hair (what would've been a blonde mane, but now undoubtedly spoilt with blood and soot) undoing it from where it was messily tied into a ponytail... and doesn't answer. Relief races in equal measures of panic and he feels so conflicted because _he can go back and stop everything_ but-

"Sasuke, I can't," Naruto sounds pathetic and weak but it's true and he _hates_ it, "I can't do it without _you,_ so _please._ "

Sasuke doesn't answer. 

He can feel the seal nearly strangling him and he wants to talk for longer- stay with Sasuke for _just a minute more._

Naruto just wants to see his face _one more time_ but these goddamned _tears-_

_"You're going off again," Naruto's voice had been uncharacteristically low. It wasn't a question but a statement._

_"I'll be back." Sasuke had given a rare smile, raising his hand to tap two fingers against his forehead. "I- ...I'll come back."_

_Naruto had scrubbed his forehead, lightly scowling. He hadn't known why Sasuke always stumbled over those two lines, afterall, they had exchanged the exact same conversation hundreds of times._

"Please," Naruto gasps, " _please_ don't leave me." 

_'You're going off again.'_

And he waits, vehemently _waits_ for his reassuring reply...

_'_ _I'll be back.'_

_('Wait for me.')_

It never comes.

When Naruto rubs at his eyes, he feels two fingers tap gently on his forehead. Sasuke looks at him with that same _rare smile._ The one that was less of a smirk and more of a gentle reassurance.

"I-" 

Naruto begs with every cell of his being that he says- _'_ _I'll come back.'_

_('I'll be there with you soon.')_

"I love you." Sasuke says instead and his voice is ridden with guilt and regret and _oh so much_ love. And all of a sudden, every stutter he made, every time he choked on his words- it made _sense._

It was a phrase unspoken and Naruto had wished that Sasuke would've said it for the first time as a celebration _after_ this five-going-six year war. Not when this was probably the _last time_ they would see each other in a while- because, eventually, Sasuke _will_ come. He has to.

(Sasuke didn't say so though. He didn't say he'll come back. He didn't say he'll be back.)

Naruto can feel the insistent tugging of the seal and he knows he can't resist it for any longer and _'_ _I don't know what to do helpmeSasuke.'_

Sasuke smiles at him again, a soft tilt on both corners of his mouth, it's loving, warming and soothing. Naruto opens his mouth and he wants to scream at him, yell and demand _why?_ but he _can't_ so at least _one time_ he wants to say, he _has to say-_

"I-"

The seal fully activates, the runes shimmering across his limbs, exploding with power throughout his body and latching onto his soul, his chakra. No. Nonono. Wait wait wait! No nononononono-

Naruto gets pulled fifteen years into the past.

_"I love you too"_

(He didn't say.)

(He couldn't say.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how did i go?  
> leave comments and feedbacks ples 
> 
> seee yaaaa! ^ - ^


	2. he lives for a thousand lives (none are his own)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> naruto gets a new life.
> 
> (he doesn't feel alive though)
> 
> “When the tree leaves dance, one shall find flames. The fire’s shadow will illuminate the village, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok i stayed up pretty darn late to one take this  
> obviously i edited but don't overestimate my brain-
> 
> i cant write angst but tbh i feel like other authors give naruto too much credit like- "oh im the only person alive" but yk what i get up kill bad people, slap on a smile and BAM!  
> like naruto aint mentally invincible soooo
> 
> i doff my hat to blackkat though, who mentions how angry and sad kurama gets in "reverse". but even tho naruto is like baby saint- well eh.

Naruto woke up and was overcome by an influx of memories.

Then a waterfall of self-hatred and hopelessness crashed upon his shoulders, his burden physically pushing him down-

_"No one."_

No one was alive and he-

He tugged at his hair, not caring that somehow it turned into a deep, vivid red that looks so eerily like- 

Sharingan red, blood red- the colour of Sasuke's blood as it spills into the seal, activating the runes and _Naruto hates what he did_ -

He grits his teeth and tightens his fists, his nails drawing blood, not caring that his skin is the wrong shade- it's pale and smooth and for some reason it makes Naruto even _madder_ and it's stupid but _Sasuke's_ the one with pale and smooth skin, _not Naruto._ He digs his hand into his chest and inhales harshly trying to force air into the lungs that _won't cooperate._

He doesn't know whether or not the seal was meant to feel like his skin was tearing apart or his guts twisting and churning. He doesn't know if he's supposed to feel like his heart is about to beat out of his chest or jump out of his throat. 

But he does feel it. The pain. 

And he claws at his neck, at his chest and shakes his head and _just breathe-_

Kurama is awake and worried, yelling in Naruto's mindscape. He sees the sky- cloudy, dark with a small peak of light blue sky, spinning in his vision and he slumps against something hard, a tall, big rock, Naruto realises, as all his anger drains out of him leaving him dizzy, uncoordinated and so indescribably _drained._

He focuses exhale after inhale, just like how Kakashi-sensei taught him in that really cold snowy place- and oh _god Kakashi-sensei._

His breath hitches again because _he's alone._ And he hadn't been _this alone_ since he was _three_ and Hokage-jiji and Konoha 11 and the Sand Siblings and _everyone was alive_ so he should feel happy (he's not though and maybe that makes him a really inconsiderate person) but _his_ colleagues, _his_ classmates and _his_ friends, _his lover_ were dead. They were back in the future (past?) and he had left him _alone-_ alone in the world of living and the only who didn't leave (abandon) him had pushed him here and Naruto said- _Naruto thought_ that he wouldn't let them all down but he realises that _it's so hard_ _._

(Naruto pushes Kurama away from where he's talking at him because he _doesn't count-_ it's not the _same_ because he's just greedy like that.)

Twenty-three years. _Twenty-three_ and he finally got everyone to acknowledge him, to respect him (to not treat him like a monster) and-

 _Twenty-three years_ and he finally became _Hokage._

(Just to watch his village, his allies, his friends, his _people burn._ )

_"It is a place where every year shinobi are born, raised, grow old, fight, and die to protect their home. These people are precious to me,"_ Naruto still remembers Hokage-jiji saying. _"We share a home, we share a life, and though we may not share ties of blood, they are precious to me. They are my family."_

He was always atrocious at memorizing the tricky wordy things but he never had trouble with Jiji because everything he said resonated within him.

_"I carry this title in trust for those Hokage who came before and those who will come after. I am the Third Hokage!”_

Hokage-jiji. Sandaime Hokage-sama. He was amazing. He died for his Village, fought valiantly and _protected his people_ and- 

What kind of a Hokage is Naruto?

_"No one."_

Sasuke's voice comes again but this time it's scornful, full of hatred- 

_"And because of_ that _, Naruto, I need to_ kill you _-"_

_"I'm going to take your life on a whim..."_

He grinds his molars together with frustration, with despair and he's so _scared_ that if Sasuke doesn't come soon (he better though, he _has to_ ) he will forget him. Forget the _real_ Sasuke, not the one driven by desperation, vengeance, confusion and _fear_ in equal parts.

(Not like the Sasuke _here,_ not his, would ever admit to being scared.)

But the one that had whined about being a Nuke-Nin when they thought the war was over (before those _motherfucking_ Otsutsukis pulled out those stupid, they-should-be-impossible Jutsu just _seven months after_ their supposed victory). Naruto is scared that he'll forget his bashful admittance to social awkwardness- so much that he hid behind, by his words, the "infamous Uchiha grunting". 

He closes his eyes and tries to _remember._ His pearly, clear pale skin and oh, how much of a running joke that was-

 _"Sasuke," Sakura had groaned, "after all those three years!" She had whined with enough melodrama to make Gai proud, "how is your skin so, soooo pretty?" Sasuke had pushed his lips together in what he insisted wasn't a pout as Sakura continued to rant, grabbing his chin and peering at his face disturbingly close- "As a front-line, Tsunade-approved, professional med-nin, I_ demand _a diagnosis, Sasuke-hime-sama. It's physically impossible!"_

 _"...Hn," Sasuke had 'said', squirming, looking hilariously close to a cat being forced to eat broccoli. Naruto hadn't bothered to hide his snickers, absolutely_ shaking _with humour, and his cackles on heightened his volume when Sasuke turned a glare to him. Well, Naruto had assumed it was a glare, it looked more like an embarrassed plead for help._

He tries to think back to Sasuke's fruitless attempts at keeping his dignity while still trying to apologize (because Sasuke had told Naruto that he _regrets_ in the middle of the cold nights when emotions were vulnerable and bare), he tries to think about the way only _Naruto_ could tell when he was bothered or stressed or-

_"Naruto, spar with me."_

_"Sasuke?"_

_"Yeah? Nah." Ino had raised her eyebrows, walking out of the T &I building._

_"Hmm... no ninjutsu, no chakra enhancements, no Sage mode or Curse mode and_ definitely _not the Kyuubi bubbly thingy_ or even worse _the one where you shine like a beacon and everything around you explodes dramatically. And Sasuke-hime," Sakura had chirped, pulling her gloves back from behind Ino while Naruto sniggered, "I think it's given, but no Mangekyo and anything that comes with it."_

_At Sasuke's disgruntled expression, Naruto had exploded with laughter, "Amaterasu!" He had mimed, glaring at the suspicious looking rock in front of him and the bursting of flames with dramatic sound effects. Konohamaru, that absolutely amazing kid, had jumped from underneath the fake rock- perfectly timed, and pretended to fall over and die._

_"Hn." Sasuke had said, looking insulted._

_"So yeah, what Sakura said," Ino had piped up, throwing an arm over Sakura's shoulder, "no needa destroy the training ground."_

_"Pfft, Ino, don't underestimate them. The insult spreads throughout the Team," Sakura had rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "they'd destroy the entire fucking Village, cha!"_

_"Sakura-chan!" Naruto had faked staggering, hand over his chest, "are you saying our amazing Team 7 could_ only _destroy Konoha? The entire Fire Country stands no chance-ttebayo!"_

Hah. They really didn't stand a chance (in the face of Naruto's shitty leading skills, that is).

Village long destroyed, his predecessors had sacrificed themselves trusting _him_ to finish the job; to fulfil his job. His people, _his responsibility_ he had failed and yet he was still here, dishonourably and very much still _alive._

( _You failed at everything and you're the lucky one. You have leeway._ )

At the thought, a noise tears out of his throat when the lives of- _how many?_ (Naruto didn't even know most of them) hit him and it's a noise somewhere between a sob and a moan and it's saturated with _raw grief._ It's a noise that shouldn't be allowed to exist: a mourning so sorrowful that it defies the abilities of his vocal chords. It grates at his throat but he's covered in injuries so he can't tell because there's _painpainpain_ everywhere and it _hurts._

He tries to rub away the feeling, _'someone help me-'_

Naruto closes his eyes trying to think about _something happy_ to relieve the ache, but now, all he can see is-

Neji's blood leaking out of his mouth, he didn't see it but he could feel the warm, wet splats against his jacket. His face, motionless, with the ugly seal on his forehead absent and he always wanted to rid of it but _not in this way._ He had thumped against the dirty floor, black rods sticking out of his back like a macabre version of a flower vase. And _damnit_ Neji why did you have to-

Shikamaru, gutted and bleeding out. It wasn't even a sharp cut, it was a ragged piece of metal, taken from one out of the hundreds of fallen allies. And _damnit,_ Shikamaru had nearly died the first time but like he had said then, Naruto _needed him._ (What was his dream without Shikamaru? What was Hokage without his advisor?) And it was more than that because Shikamaru had been one of his closest friends, like his clan technique- close yet far, a shadow; always present and there when he needed him to be.

Sakura had screamed, voice already hoarse from crying over the news of Tsunade's death, because- _"I can fix that, so don't fucking_ move _! Don't fucking die on me, Nara! I'm the best Med-Nin now that Shishou isn't here-"_

But Sakura wouldn't have cried, screamed, _begged for it to be over_ if Naruto had just did his _fucking_ job. Shikamaru wouldn't have even been bleeding, and he wouldn't have had to have his own intestines as the last thing he saw if _Naruto had been stronger, faster, better._

Just like how Choji had exhausted his chakra when Naruto ran out (Naruto _shouldn't have run out)_ , bones visible on every part of his body (he could see where his ribcage had started and ended), his skin had started flaking and he hadn't even managed to stand up with the amount of fat he lost. He looked like a _skeleton_. He died from the symptoms of chakra and physical starvation in less than _two minutes._

Ino had cried and cried and _screamed in fury._ Naruto had been her classmate for _years_ and he should've known her bone-deep guilt-

 _"You don't understand, Naruto," she had sobbed, "how many times I said he was fat. You don't understand how_ I hadn't apologized even once."

 _"Ino, don't!" Sakura was crying even harder, tears upon tears upon_ tears, _"I can't- I can't lose you_ too _! We had just only started- I had only just started fixing our mess and- Ino,_ please _." Sakura had_ pleaded _and Naruto-_

_Naruto had just stood there._

He should've stopped her _somehow_ from charging at the deity that was _obviously out of her league._ He hated how she could've been saved, she was dangling from his hands as the Otsutsuki had mocked him, mocked Sakura, mocked Ino and mocked Choji and-

 _"Maybe I can say sorry to Choji, if we ever do meet up," Ino had gurgled blood, words barely audible over Sakura's gasps and pants as she_ hyperventilates, _"Choji was always so much nicer than me. He deserves to go somewhere better than where I, no doubt, am heading."_

When the enemy tossed Ino to the side like a ragdoll and Sakura hastily tried to heal her _(you can't regenerate a lung- don't waste your chakra)_ , the two of them shared words- last words, and Naruto didn't listen.

(He didn't deserve to.)

He doesn't even jolt when he feels a familiar chakra signature somewhere in his ever present circumference of his sensory abilities and usually he'd snap to attention and draw out a kunai (even though he's strong enough that a kunai wouldn't change nothing) but now he just wants that man, or whoever, whatever ittheyheshe is, to- ( _kill him..._ He won't ever admit thinking.)

There's nothing he can do to relieve the _feardesireloneliness_ in his chest that keeps _building and building-_

He can hear Kurama pacing restlessly in his mindscape, thrown off and confused at Naruto's lack of response but because he is _selfish,_ he doesn't want to reply, doesn't want to stand up and say something naïve and blissfully unaware like 'I won't go back on my word.' Because Naruto is so _goddamned selfish_ he wants to _die._

(Preferably nicely and quickly; without any reminders of his sins.)

He thinks about everything he had used to persuade- Zabuza, Neji, Gaara, Tsunade-baachan, Sai, Nagato, Killer B, Kurama, Obito... and _Sasuke._

He thinks about how he's contemplating on doing exactly what he said he wouldn't ever do: give up, let go.

Naruto hadn't yet but the idea of it is so pleasing, so welcoming- no one would blame him if he's dead, the other Naruto can handle this, ' _why do I have to?', 'what makes me keep on going?', 'why can't I give up?'_

_"Because you're Uzumaki Naruto,"_ a voice called out, "Son of Namikaze Minato, the famous Yellow Flash, Yondaime Hokage and the Red Hot Habanero, feared Elite Jonin, Uzumaki Kushina." The person took a step towards him, footstep so loud that it makes Naruto's war-honed senses cringe.

"Most Unpredictable Ninja, Proud Konoha Shinobi of Team 7, Hero of Konoha." 

Naruto was confused and he got even more confused with each step coming with each of his old titles because _who even-_

"And, oh wait, am I forgetting something?" A head leans over Naruto's slumped form and a pair of eyes meet his. The look directed at him is so piercing, he could see it even through the haze of his own tears.

_"_ _Number 1 Candidate for Hokage..._ the one with _the guts and the passion_ and the _unbeatable ability to smack some well-deserved sense into people_... oh how the tables have turned. And thus, I'm looking for Uzumaki Naruto, _is that you?_ " Naruto sits up because _he knows those darned eyes_ and (how didn't I recognize that chakra?) if _he_ of all people needed to get him off his arse then Naruto really needed to think.

For a moment he can feel the spark of his Will lighting up in the core of his stomach _(Hi no Ishi)._

He was a mess- horribly weepy with a god awful amount of depression radiating from him but it wasn't a hard thing pushing it down to say-

"Who, me?" Naruto says with the swagger that he can finally back up (that he hadn't had for _years_ ), "I'm Rokudaime Hokage of the Fourth Shinobi Joint Alliance War, Uzumaki Naruto-"

They both grin identical grins-

""-Dattebayo.""

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhhhhhhhh my head hurtssssssss. also can u tell who the new person is? did i make it too obvious?
> 
> leave a kudo and a comment ples !!
> 
> ^ - ^  
> yeet


	3. (six years ago) the sun and the moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> when Kaguya arose for the second time
> 
> (just a hyper short part of what happened)
> 
> (six years before naruto timetravelled)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARGHHHHH i wrote this threee times because first, laptop died and theeennnnn i accidentally refreshed the page and ughhhhhhhhhhh
> 
> im writing this cuz i have no idea how to TnJ naruto back into being, well, naruto

When the Sun and the Moon returned to the palms of Hagoromo, peace had prospered as the brothers found closure.

Foolish little beings. (Her foolish sons.)

Kaguya opened her eyes, Rinne Sharingan laying dormant on her forehead. It was in times like this when she respected Otsutsuki-sama; the Clan Head could've unraveled the seal in no more than a few months.

It took her seven months, with the help of Zetsu, and only because she had been trapped in it before (she would've tried harder to get out of the moon if she had seen what a _mess_ Hagoromo had made her world, Kaguya thought her son would've created peace like _he said he would)._

With a burst of pure chakra, the remains of the seal disappeared along with the disintegrated rocks, crumbling into fine dust. Zetsu cackled by her side but Kaguya was far from amused.

'Hagoromo... the second time you have turned against your Mother. You have gone too far.'

* * *

Naruto sat in the hospital for what felt like the fifty billionth time. With Tsunade-baachan poking and prodding at his arm- oh well, his Hashirama cells, he reminisced the fight with Sasuke, trying to figure out what exactly they were trying to achieve.

Both drained and exhausted but-

 _"Susanoo!"  
_ _"Kurama!"_

They had still clashed and fought until the Valley of the End was in pieces, the sculpture barely visible with the amount of rubble being carved out and thrown about.

They had still clashed and fought even after Sasuke's text-book taijutsu stance had turned sloppy and Naruto's stance looked worse than when he was tutored incorrectly by Mizuki.

And for all that they were fighting, it felt like it _needed_ to take place. It was like a conclusion to them.

He doesn't regret it- even after losing an arm in the process.

"Can you feel this?" Tsunade-baachan pushed chakra into his limb.

"Yes-"

She pinches the inside of his forearm, "does this hur-"

"Ouch! Yes, yes, yes now lemme go-ttebayo. We've done this so many times-"

Maybe Naruto did regret losing an arm. Baa-chan sighed and, yes! Finally he could go!

"Ok, fine, you little brat. Just remember to check in again next week-"

A tingle of caution shot up in every practiced shinobi's spine at the same time, drawing kunai out and _whereisitwhatisit- the war should be over what is it now?_

Naruto spread his chakra out around him (stretching one... two... three... four... _five_ kilometres), drawing in as much of his sensory abilities as he could and-

_Kaguya!?_

And _ohfuck ohshit pleasetellmeI'mwrong_ -

 ~~An enemy~~ ~~a~~ ~~shinobi~~ A goddess, a raging figure of dense, dark chakra shot towards him at a speed she hadn't displayed before and it was then that Naruto felt his stomach drop because _she's pissed._

"Everyone get the fuck out!"

Naruto runs a hand (his left hand because _he lost the other one_ ) through his cropped blonde hair and tries to think- _how did this fucking happen?_ He thinks about her cool demeanour and how she slowly levitated, as graceful as her appearance declares. And now, she- she was flying through the air _fast,_ like she powered five A-class Fuuton Jutsus constantly to soar at ground breaking speeds. They have maybe, what, forty- _thirty_ _seconds_ to get off their injured butts and-

"Naruto!" Sasuke's voice, uncharacteristically full to the brim with apprehension, called out. A horde of shinobi were trying to pull him away:

_"Everything you do can be used against you-"_

_"Stop resisting-"_

_"What do you think you're doing, Uchiha?"_

Sasuke could _easily_ dispatch them but Naruto doesn't have the _time-_

"Stand _down_ ," Naruto (didn't yell, didn't demand) said, blue eyes ice cold with face wiped of cheer and he slammed a wave of chakra into them, irritation spiking up at their ignorance.

How many seconds did they waste just then?

He faced Sasuke, expression growing grimmer as their faces mirrored each other in equal parts of worry and horror.

"It isn't her, right?" Naruto _wants_ to be wrong. Sasuke looked back at him and his skin turned pallid, eyes wide and the right verging on the red of a Sharingan.

A wave of killer intent replied, crashing over them, as ferocious as turbulent sea, as chilling and unforgiving as the harsh oceans.

The two of them could _feel_ her pale, lilac tinted eyes staring at the two- filled with an oxymoron expression of icy cold ire and genuine, loving tears.

Her voice was just like they remembered, elegantly soft and silky like satin, her whispers carrying enough power to resonate across a battlefield.

_"Indra... Asura..."_

"Kaguya..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok finally i found a way to get naruto to get back up onto his ass (its hard to talk no jutsu a naruto)
> 
> im nearly halfway thru the next chapter :D
> 
> y'all ready to see naruto kick ass?
> 
> thanks for reading, leave a kudo and a comment if its not too much trouble  
> see yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa  
> ^ - ^
> 
> OK IM BACK AND I HAVE SHIT IDEA ON WHAT TO DO WITH FUTURE NARUTOS NAME AHHHHHHHHHHHH BE PREPARED FOR A SHIT NAME AHAHAHAHAHAH-
> 
> ok edit again: if u didnt get why kaguya was revived n shit. tbh i found their fight a little weird cuz kaguya was obviously super strong so why hadnt she ever, like idk, go rage mode and obliterate everything?


	4. when he stands, he stands for a thousand (and one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> naruto has a six mile long list of things to do.
> 
> he wont stop until he's finished
> 
> (believe it)
> 
> 俺は逃げねぇまっすぐ自分の言葉は曲げねぇそれがオレの忍道だ  
> ore wa nige nee, massugu jibun no kotoba wa mage nee sore ga ore no nindō da

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugh pulling timetravel out of my ass was a pretty shit idea (no pun intended) cuz i have no plan or plot and its just evrywhere  
> this will probably be so fricking confusing 
> 
> if it helps (it probs wont) then the current naruto (angsty one) is referred to as "he" and the canonical naruto (the 17yo one) is the Uzumaki Naruto thats addressed
> 
> (im so confused)

_"_ _Number 1 Candidate for Hokage..._ the one with _the guts and the passion_ and the _unbeatable ability to smack some well-deserved sense into people_... oh how the tables have turned. And thus, I'm looking for Uzumaki Naruto, _is that you?_ " He sits up because _he knows those cerulean, blue eyes_ and for a moment he can feel a spark of his Will lighting up in the core of his stomach.

"Who, me?" He says with the swagger that he can finally back up (that he hadn't had for _years_ ), "I'm Rokudaime Hokage of the Fourth Shinobi Joint Alliance War, Uzumaki Naruto-"

Naruto- but not him (not the one hardened from war, from death, from _carnage)_ but the one with sunshine hair and matching sunshine grin, looked back at him,

""-Dattebayo.""

* * *

He's in his mindscape, he belatedly realises as Kurama growls behind him, tails flicking back and forth, worry written all over him and his nine tails. He feels guilt rise up in him because _Kurama_ also lost everyone (though he would never admit to being on _amiable_ terms with Shukaku or Son; all prideful chakra beasts and slightly on the less saner side).

(He loves them so much.)

He had no idea how the _Waterfalls of_ _fucking Truths_ ended up here but... He turns back to the man- the _boy,_ and he almost doesn't recognize himself from Before. How long had it been since he looked in the mirror?

The boy, Uzumaki Naruto- just turned seventeen, from memory, was looking back at him with that happy grin and happy face from _five years ago._

Was his hair always that bright? Was his smile always that large? 

Naruto (is he really Naruto, now that he had been walking on the cliffside of giving up?) turns away because _that happiness and hope_ is too bright to look at. He sits Indian style on the water and catches a glimpse of his reflection and-

The first thing his eyes jump to is his _hair._ It was completely different save for the length, still sitting down his back and resting at his waist. It was straight yet soft; heart-rendingly reminiscent to his Kaa-san's ankle length locks. Vivid and vibrant scarlet red that seemed to flow and tumble; smooth like water, thick like lava, scorching and fiery. It looks burning to the touch, capturing all the hues of ruby in the light of his mindscape. The vivacious red was a sharp contrast to his skin, which was so pale and smooth that he almost mistook his own hand for Sasuke's.

And his _eyes,_ oh god _his eyes._ It reflected the hues of many colours, they weren't as bright as they used to be, not the clear azure blue of his Tou-san's, but they also weren't as dark as his Kaa-san's indigo-violet irises had been, but they were a deep amethyst purple and _wasn't he so glad that they looked nothing like Kaguya's pale purple eyes?_

And with his new appearance, he doesn't- he isn't Uzumaki Naruto anymore and if he isn't Naruto _("Because if I gave up, it wouldn't be 'Naruto' anymore." "-Jiraya-sama's student-" "-Yondaime's eyes-" "-you looked just like Kushina-san-")_ then he would just have to cut his ties with his friends from Before- 

"Bullshit," Naruto (the one that isn't him anymore) spoke up, "if you decide to carry the duty, the pride and the responsibilities of that name... then you damn well have to _accept_ the respect, the gratitude, the _love_ from the people from Before that comes with it."

(His mouth falls open because was he getting told off by _himself?)_

"And even if you think that burden that weighs down on your shoulders is too heavy for you to carry alone-" he thumped a fist against his chest, "then don't _do_ it alone." The blue eyes (they aren't _his_ eyes anymore) pin him in his spot.

(I don't have _anyone_ what are you, me?, talking about?) 

"Your friends from Before, your _lover,_ your _Sensei_ _,_ your _people, your shinobi_ live inside of you and _stand up proud_ because if you get up- if you live as those one thousand lives, then you carry that burden with those _one thousand lives_. You aren't invincible. You can't do it alone." 

But when he looks up at the blond haired man, he doesn't even feel _alive_ compared to his exuberance.

"You can cry, you can sit down and lean on the ground when it's too hard but _oh_ don't you feel guilty because of that. Don't feel guilty because the only thing keeping you up are those one thousand lives that _you_ believe are blaming you. You aren't invincible so when you get up and start your new life, accept the support from the people from Before and not just their expectations." Uzumaki Naruto looks down at him.

"Embrace your responsibility, don the memories of your people and-" the blonde's mouth stretches into an assuring, _daring_ grin, "scream your Nindo for the world to hear."

"I won't run away..." he mouths after a shocked silence, speaking softly, the words feeling unfamiliar in contrast to when he used to scream it at anyone who would listen, over and over again, "I never go back on my word, because that is my..."

(He thinks _years_ back to Haku and Zabuza-

"A shinobi doesn't need to have feelings..."

_"Kakashi-sensei, are shinobi really just emotionless tools?"_

_"...but deep down inside... they actually hate it."_

_"It's difficult for my to completely become shinobi... b_ _ut in order to fulfil his dream... I will."_

_"Your right... it's impossible for a shinobi to be completely emotionless... in the end, we are all..._

_humans."_

_"Do you have precious people?"_

_"People you want to protect?"_

"...but it seems like I couldn't live up to the ideal.")

"I won't run away," he says shakily, throat heavy from the memories from _so long ago_ that were still fresh in his mind. His voice was barely audible and jaded, wavering, burdened _but still genuine_ , "I never go back on my word, because that is my _Ninja Way."_

Because _damnit_ maybe he doesn't have a noble sense of justice burning as viciously before, maybe he wasn't one to smile in the face of disaster anymore, maybe he wasn't entirely _Naruto_ anymore but there was one thing that would never change. 

He would never go back on his word.

This world would not see a hair of Kaguya if he had anything to say about it.

He looks up at the boy (man) standing in front of him and Naruto (not him) smiles his blinding grin in response as the outlines of his figure starts fading way.

Naruto (not him- not anymore) shrugs as if saying: I've done my job, then smiles again reassuringly and hopefully as if to say: _now it's your turn._

Just before he thinks Naruto and his megawatt smile is going to disappear completely, he says two sentences that makes a watery chuckle leave his throat.

When Naruto fades away just like his Dark Self did Before when he was with Octopops, he felt another loss, a part of him, the one with hope and cheer and _smile,_ had left and he _knew_ his Nindo and _knew_ his goals- he just needed someone to remind him that things may be a clusterfuck, but sulking had never helped him.

He stands up (albeit on shaky legs).

_"Stand as one thousand and one lives... live for others but also yourself. After all, it'd be a shame if someone as amazing as us would go six feet under so soon when this shinobi world hadn't had a taste of_ us _yet_ _, ain't that right-ttebayo?"_

* * *

"Kazama Arashi... I need a new alias- I mean, a new name. I can't be Uzumaki Naruto anymore for obvious reasons." He says to Kurama's questioning tilt of head, silently pleading that the fox doesn't bring up his horrible state (both mental and physical- god, he knows he _stinks)._

His name from Before, Naruto- was homage to ~~his Tou-sa~~ ~~Minato~~ his Tou-san and ~~Jiraiya-sama~~ Ero-Sennin and he _really_ didn't want to change it but-

He wouldn't take that from the little Naruto in this world- he couldn't because what else did little Naruto even have?

"And..." He knew he was risking it, but this was something he _had_ to keep. "Kazama Arashi can be my 'alias' for my 'real' name which is _Uzumaki_ Arashi. Boom. Instant Konoha support... I think."

 **"Hold up, hold up. Kazama Arashi? The fake name for your 'father' that Sarutobi had spat out? The one literally meaning 'wind storm'?"** Kurama asked disbelievingly, wide bug eyes _really_ painted a picture on the _fearsome Kyuubi no Youko._ **"You'll shoot up in that old man's bad books if you call yourself that. It'll be suspicious as fuck."**

"Sue _me_ for being a little spiteful," he rolls his eyes. "My _own parents'_ had to tell me who they were and _they're dead._ With hindsight, Jiji should be glad that I'm not going to punch him for it. Or Ero-Sennin. Or Kakashi-sensei. Or any of the other people who knew Tou-san... god that's _so many_ people." (He ignores the pang in his chest from remembering that he _couldn't punch the people from Before because they were dead-)_

 **"Hmph, Naruto, I told you, you _were_ always a magnanimous fool," **Kurama grunted.

"Arashi." 

**"What?"**

"Get it right, Kurama," _Arashi_ grins challengingly, "my name is Uzumaki Arashi."

**"What- seriously?"**

"Although, I'm currently bearing the grand name of Kazama, no need to spill the beans on my famed and feared clan name after all, right?"

**"Nar- _Ugh,_ Arashi. Just-"**

"An old Fire country civilian-merchant maybe," he muses distantly. "A civilian that is poor, but not too poor... Oh and my parents died from a civilian bandit attack..."

**"That- that doesn't even make sense- you can't just _hyphenate_ the words 'civilian' and 'merchant' like that. And a civilian bandit? Seriously? You say that like there's _shinobi_ bandits."**

"I'm so civilian that I don't know the difference..."

 **"And be fair, even _civilians_ know about Nuke-Nin as much as they never use the gooey mass in their skulls they call a _brain._ " **Kurama scoffs with an aggressive tone.

Arashi shoots him a look, trying not to visit his memories from ages ago where- _stayaway, demonbrat luckyhedidn'tgraduate-_

**"And besides, how can you pose as a poor, stupider-than-usual civilian if you're planning to defeat the Akatsuki?"**

"I can... be a secret shinobi that... leads a double life?"

After three beats of unimpressed silence, Arashi throws his hands up in exasperation. Sure. Lying, deception and acting was always needed in a war but since Arashi used to be a famous front-line fighter, it meant _shit_ if he posed as a harmless, poor-but-not-too-poor civilian.

"Ugh, actually Kurama, in retrospect, I can't do this- this... civilian. I can't _civilian_. They're too..."

Arashi winces and furrows his brows, " _civilian._ " He says like he's tasting spinach for the first time.

Kurama doesn't reply, instead just looked at him with a disturbed expression.

"Kurama," Arashi tilts his head to the side. "Hello?"

Kurama keeps looking at him with an expression that screams _why am I in the presence of such a pea-brained imbecile?_

_'And alright you eon-old fox, I see how it is-'_

"The years finally caught up to you, hey?" Arashi shakes his head mock disappointedly. "I guess even the amazing Kyuubi-sama is vulnerable to age."

Kurama snarled, baring his canines in a facsimile of a smile.

**"My _apologies,_ my bones were getting a little sore. Continue, Rashi- _kun_."**

"You don't even _have_ bones, youyou- you chakra fox!" 

**"Sorry, what was that?"** Kurama squints at Arashi as if his eyes weren't honed to the point that he could see _kilometers_ away. **"I couldn't quite hear your tiny voice because you're so far down. Such a small midget... I wouldn't even be able to use your spine as a half-decent toothpick."**

"What did you say?" Arashi flushes in aggravation. "My spine would make a _damn good_ toothpic-"

"Kurama!" Arashi screeches, indignant.

 **"Kit."** Kurama sniffs as primly as a chakra beast can.

(Arashi doesn't realise when his knees stop buckling or when his breaths had regulated. His legs are steady and his head isn't pounding as much as before. Arashi never realises that his chest had stop hurting as much.

Kurama feels slightly proud of himself.)

* * *

"First stop!" Arashi declares to nobody, still in the sanctuary of an unknown deep forest blanketed in snow- and ah. Yukigakure. He tardily realised. "Uzushiogakure!"

**"You mean a clothes store?"**

Arashi could feel the judgmental look (even though Kurama is sealed _inside of him)_ peering over his blood-soaked, mud-ridden, stinking rags that hang over his torso, doing an amazing job at covering his skin with the amount of slashes, tears and gouges in the fabric and yeah it should be _fine._

Arashi violently shivers as a gale wailed by.

On second thought, yeah. Clothes store. Maybe.

* * *

"Now!" Arashi declares yet again, this time to the the clothes store manager, "Uzushiogakure!"

The shop owner, that had been terrified of his ravaged attire, now looked scarily close to _swooning._ And on that note, Arashi really needed to re-explore the fundaments of that time Jutsu. His appearance is all over the shop.

Arashi was practically _gifted_ his clothes, the skin tight mesh was cut short enough that his shoulders had peaked through, showing off his array of seals etched intricately around his upper arm and down the outside of his lower arm. He remembers how the store owner hadn't even blinked at his seals- they were probably being written off as tattoos when, in reality, they were the foundations of the time travel seal. It was like a scar, how the time travel seal wouldn't fade away like his old Eight Trigrams Sealing, a constant visual reminder of what he lost.

He hadn't really taken the time to appreciate Sasuke's hand work. So behind the draw curtain in the room he was told to change in, he had taken a long look at the pure _art_ engraved into his skin. A single kanji for time on his inner right wrist and-

 _Oh._ On his left wrist there was the kanji for _love._ 愛.

Arashi had bit his lip, warding off thoughts and moving his mind elsewhere, desperately shoving down those _damn emotions- loveappreciationlonginglovelovelove_ inside of him. He remembers standing there as fragile as paper, warring with his own mind until-

"Kazama-san," the shop manager had called from the other side of the curtain, effectively snapping him out of his thoughts. "Are you having any difficulties?"

_Oh you bet he was- an emotional difficulty that is._

He had worn a turtle-neck black tank top on top of the mesh then wore a long royal blue haori over it. Simple black pants and black sandals. It was a civilian store so when Arashi had felt the stiff, fragile fabric, he had grimaced, buying whatever the store owner had suggested and ran with it.

"Yes. It's all good." Arashi had replied.

('No it's not good, this is _civilian fabric_ that will tear and snap as soon as he _inevitably gets into a fight-')._

"Where do I pay?" He brought out a bag full of cloned coins and felt a smidge of guilt. But what would one expect from a poor man that had just time travelled from the end of the world?

He exited the civilian store with the _civilian clothes_ as quickly as possible.

 **"You stupid brat!"** Kurama paced in his mindscape.

Arashi trudged through the snow, already feeling the fabric groan under the strain of his speed once he takes upon the fir tree branches.

**"Don't just yell where you're going to everyone. Be glad that stupid meat bag woman didn't notice. Subtlety! Oh wait, you're-"**

'-not Uzumaki Naruto, stop right there.' Arashi wearily said inside his mindscape.

He was already reverting back to his habits as a child; slap on a smile, grab out the energy from the hammerspace and fake it til you make it. For all that he wasn't boisterous anymore, he needed _some_ semblance of life around somewhere after all. (Arashi couldn't picture Kurama acting jaunty or dancing with glee.)

**"Arashi brat, you don't need to act all jumpy and bubbly now that you're a tired old man who had been through great tragedies."**

**_(Arashi,_** Kurama had meant _,_ ** _you don't need to be fake to get the approval of people around you now that you have seen all and lived through all.)_**

For all that Kurama was being dramatic, he wasn't exactly incorrect.

**"To Uzushio?"**

"Yes, to Uzushio."

* * *

_\- XX months later-_

Kazama (Uzumaki) Arashi makes it onto every updated version of the Bingo Book- well, his epithet does at least. Though his name was never confirmed, 'Blood Red Hurricane' was known, feared and respected in equal measures throughout the Villages.

**'Blood Red Hurricane' Database (S+ Rank** **)**

**Basic Information:**

Status: Active

Name: (Unknown)

Epithet: Blood Red Hurricane, _or_ Red Hurricane of Blood
    
    
    血の赤いハリケーン
    
    
    Chi no akai harikēn

(for _, 'he leaves in a whirl of violent gusts, the blood from his victories dancing in the hurricane winds as he disappears without a single strand of hair left behind')_

Gender: (Unconfirmed) Male

Recognizable Traits: (Unconfirmed) 'blood' red, waist-length hair, pale skin, shorter in height and petite in frame, seen wearing a white, silver and red kitsune half-mask.

 _(Note:_ rumoured purple _or_ red eyes- consider: Kekkei Genkai, ~~Jinchuuriki~~ discredited.

Consider: Uzumaki heritage.)

**Personal Details:**

Age: (Unknown) Presumably a young adult

Height: (Details Unknown) 165-170cm (5'5-5'7)

Weight: (Unknown) Slim

Blood Type: (Unknown)

**Registration and/or Affiliation:**

ID: (Unknown)

Village Association: (Unconfirmed) Uzushio emblem

( _Suggested:_ (Unconfirmed) Possible Konoha association via previous alliance)

( _Edit:_ Rumoured hostility against Kusa)

Allies: N/A

Missions: N/A

Shinobi Rank: N/A

**Skill Set:**

Chakra Capacity: (Unconfirmed) S+

Chakra Control: (Unconfirmed) A

Yin Jutsu: (Majority Unknown) proficient in at least three elements, no witnessed Kekkei Genkais

Yang Jutsu: (Majority Unknown) efficient in Henge, Shunshin Jutsu

Range: all ranges = S+ fighting capabilities

Nature Affinity (from primary element to least used): (to current knowledge) Fuuton, Suiton, Katon

Sightings (in chronological order): Yugakure, Yukigakure, Iwagakure, Kusagakure, Tanigakure, Kirigakure 

Noteworthy Abilities: Nothing abnormal identified

**Defeated:**

**S-Rank Nuke-Nin** Kakuzu _(see ' Kakuzu of Takigakure')_

Status: Deceased

 **S-Rank Nuke-Nin** Hidan _(see ' Hidan of Yugakure') _

Status: Deceased

 **S-Rank Nuke-Nin** Hoshigaki Kisame _(see ' Tailed Beast without a Tail') _

Status: Deceased

 **S-Rank Nuke-Nin** Sasori _(see ' Sasori of the Red Sand')_

Status: Deceased

 **S-Rank Nuke-Nin** Uchiha Itachi _(see ' Uchiha Itachi')_

Status: Unconfirmed

 **Criminal Association: Akatsuki Leaders** Pain _(Nagato/Yahiko- no data) and_ Konan _(no data) and_ Tobi _(Uchiha Obito- no data)_

Pain Status: Deceased

Konan Status: Deceased

Tobi: Deceased

_**Overall Rank: S+** _

Intentions: Unknown ~~Bounty Hunter~~ discredited. 

_(Note:_ Targets actively malicious shinobi, donates large sums of money to the poorer villages.

Rumour: (Kusakage unwilling to confirm) Attacked Kusagakure for (presumed) an Uzumaki child)

Motive: (Speculation) Acting as shinobi of Uzushio

Wanted for: ---------

Bounty: ----------

Orders: If shown hostile motives, flee immediately 

Other: Epithet originated from the only noteworthy visual information provided by a patrolling Iwa Jonin shinobi on lookout, he stated that Blood Red Hurricane had _'left_ _in a whirl of violent gusts, quick in a way that was scarily similar to the Yellow Flash's famous Hiraishin.'_ He had also mentioned the redness of the miniature 'hurricane' mentioning that it was either from _'_ _the blood from his victories'_ or his vibrant, noticeable hair that _'_ _danced_ _in the winds as he disappeared' ._

However, the shinobi had found no evidence of red hair present on the battlefield. 

_(A crackle of thunder, a boom of lightning and a hurricane appeared. Leaving nothing but devastation in it's wake; the hurricane swirled away.)_

_Arashi remembers the first and only_ _time "love", that word, had ever been brought up in a conversation._

_(Because Sasuke saying it too late- not fast enough for him to say it back doesn't count.)_

_"Naruto," Sasuke had gritted out, cheeks blushing furiously when he had smacked a kiss onto his cheek. "Not in the fucking public!" His eyes darted about at where Naruto had known his classmates were. "Are they playing paparazzi?" Sasuke had whined (though he would never admit to creating such a "weak" noise)._

_"They aren't even being subtle about it!" He gestures aggressively to the pot plant Sakura, Ino and Hinata were squished behind- what was once thought as an unlikely trio of friendship had now escalated to the three of them fighting like feral cats over a polaroid camera._

_He jerks his chin to the roof where Tenten was manipulating mirrors with god knows which_ _weapons to show the 'natural scenery' to the Senseis inside of the building._

 _Sasuke_ _looked despairingly at Naruto._ _Another groan of greatly exaggerated agony leaked out of Sasuke's mouth and Naruto had rolled his eyes, pecking his lips and effectively shutting him up... when another squeal erupted from behind them and-_

_"They're making such a big deal out of it!" Sasuke furrowed his brows and at Naruto's lackadaisical "yes, yes", he pouted very un-Uchiha-ly._

_"Haven't you heard? Sasuke-hime..." Naruto heard Sakura snicker from the side of the pot plant and he fought back his own smirk, instead opting to slap on his 'I'm-super-innocent' grin._

_Naruto cleared his throat dramatically over the sniggers of the girls (and the Sensei) and solemnly announces,_

_"Love..."_

"...is a motherfucking Hurricane." Arashi _(he's not Naruto anymore)_ whispers, the sound of his voice breaking being swept away with the wind.

Arashi likes his new name. Blood Red Hurricane.

His new kinda-cool name doesn't stop the lump of thickness growing in his throat though. Doesn't stop the _longing_ for Sasuke's bastard voice and bastard gestures and his bastard-y _love_ that Arashi never knew existed until it was too late-

It does nothing to stop the agonising twisting in his chest. Does nothing to stop the keen of _anguish_ escaping his throat.

* * *

Unknown to the epithet he'll be notorious for two years later (and how it'll _tear his heart out)_ , Arashi jumps onto the sturdy branches of the fir trees up ahead and grimaces at his newly bought civilian clothes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you didnt get shit:  
> naruto had changed personas five years (ik i keep on changing whether it's five or six years but it's intentional) ago when kaguya arose again.  
> the canon naruto (happy go lucky and shit) replaced the "dark naruto" (from when naruto was getting the kyuubis power) and had talk no jutsu-ed the current naruto (the angsty one)
> 
> god that didnt even make sense to ME.
> 
> and this is verging on being completely non canonical info. like come ON naruto was legit starved as a kid so how tf did he grow up so tall like nani the hell??
> 
> also a long long lonnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggg time ago i said that i might ship sasori and deidara but ive semiworked out a timeline and EW cuz rn in the story deidara is 10-11  
> like DO NOT i DO NOTTTTT promote pedophilia like ok FINE when deidara and sasori were arguing abt art and SASORI LOOKS LIKE A DAMB CHERUB WHAT DID U EXPECT ME TO THINK sobslnvjsdnvjsdnvsjdn welp i hope it was a good read (im the dang author and i didnt understand shit-)
> 
> btw  
> (chibi naruto should be 8-9, uchiha massacre had already happened itachi is 13-14)
> 
> and Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh MYYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDd that was a HYPER long chapter like da-YUM i ROCK (my eyes hurt like Sasori just spat sand covered needles into them)
> 
> leave a kudo and a comment <3  
> thanks for reading 
> 
> jaaaaaaaaaa neeeeeeeeeeeeee!!


	5. whirlpool with clear waters (and by that he means with no blood)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> arashi arrives at uzushiogakure- determined to carry out the remains of his legacy as far as possible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive got a tiny plot going on and im not sure whether or not i should actually add in the events or say "they fight. they dead." then be done w it-
> 
> im sheit at fight scenes so i might be lazy...

Seals. 

When Arashi arrives at the ruins of Uzushio, the crumbled buildings and monuments that had once stood tall were covered in intricate patterns of seals. They twisted and weaved like overgrown vines, decorating the walls with the art of chakra enhanced barrier markings.

Underneath the layers of dirt and blood, Arashi could make out the brilliant yellow and orange tiled walkways and beneath the rubble of the fallen Village, he could make out what was once an awe-inducing, picturesque establishment.

However, as he scoured the land, he did not see a single cemetery. Only a few odd tombstones, a few hand-made graves and small memorials.

Fury licked at his stomach because-

He stares at a shrivelled form of what looks like an arm, the size of a toddler's, pocking out underneath a large slab of stone. 

-did Konoha not even have the time to send off the bodies of their sister Village's citizens?

Without so much of a hand twitch, two shadow clones materialized behind him- devoid of the usual, loud _poof_ noise or the smoke that usually comes around it, and they walked over to flip the slab of stone over.

In times of war, Arashi had perfected every Jutsu he had been taught to the point where he could activate them, twist chakra and mould nature, without needing to even blink. The sound and appearance of his Kage Bunshins were hindering so he adapted. Even while disregarding his arm- or lack thereof, wasting time on mere hand gestures would waste precious milliseconds in which Arashi could've killed a lingering Zetsu. Not to mention the Sharingan, even with only a single pure Uchiha alive, was somehow always present and using hand seals would only ensure their trump-cards to be neutralized.

Arashi didn't even flinch at the three bodies (you get rather numb after the first two hundred emotional breakdowns), already recognizing what stage of body decomposition they were at. Fifteen- no, more than _twenty_ years ago they had died and _did Konoha not have the time-_

As the two shadow clone cloned themselves, the whole land ruins suddenly full of flames of red hair, they left to scan the land for more bodies.

Arashi just stared at the three already liquified bodies, not knowing what shade their hair colour was, not knowing whether they were the standard Uzumaki red or a different colour, perhaps from foreign Villages like he was from Before. He hated how he didn't know whether or not they had known his Kaa-san. Whether or not they had been a young couple or a middle-aged one that had just decided to have a baby.

He hated not knowing if that toddler would've grown up bright and cheerful or maybe, mature and responsible, what if he or she would've grown up to be mischievous and always causing trouble that would make the adults laugh at his or her antics- 

(He doesn't know why he feels guilty for their deaths even though Uzushiogakure was already decimated when his mother was just a fresh Genin.)

He _stares_ at the people that _he_ might've met if Uzushio had never fell and tries to picture what they might've looked like.

(He comes up with nil, but no doubt the two adults had done all they could to shield the toddler's small frame whose face was unquestionably in a rictus expression of stark terror.)

He turns away as an influx of memories from dispelled Kage Bunshin assaulted his mind. Arashi was already used to the taxing effect it had on him and didn't twitch at the sudden throb in his temple from the overlay of thoughts.

Well, at least they burnt the bodies of the _actual_ shinobi, as he recalled several of his clones that had peered into an underground storage with rows and rows of cremation urns, a tag labelling either: _Chunin_ or _Jonin_ slapped on the sides next to an engraving of their clan names.

The Uzukage's body was semi-sealed and buried, but the tomb had already been desecrated and ravaged- decade old seals can only hold on for so long and he guesses that the fall had been so unexpected, that there were no more Uzumakis worth their salt that could support the half-written matrixes with their blood.

(No Uzumakis left at all.)

Another five clones popped and- 

_Ah_ that was what he was looking for.

Walking across the debris, his footsteps silent even in the solitude of the abandoned Village, he faced another underground trapdoor, deviously placed right in the centre of the Village square, truly hidden in plain sight. It was large- length and width spanning more than five meters long.

This time, the seal was completed and much more complicated, it was obvious how detailed it was to Arashi even though a simple-looking Uzushio swirl was painted on top in an attempt to disguise it. Well, he wouldn't judge a shinobi if they hadn't sensed the disturbed energy chakra underneath it, after all, Uzumaki seal paint was just as good at hiding chakra prints.

The painted Uzushio swirl was red like how Konoha had sewn it on the back of every Chunin and Jonin vest.

Red like the hair of his Kaa-san's chakra memory. (Red like _his_ hair.)

At least it looked like it used to be red like that, worn under years of sun, rain, wind, sleet... a dull colour, verging on pink, peeling and cracking but still _red_ like the Uzumakis were famous for.

There were burns and scuffs on the stone that were suggesting shinobi attempting to break in and steal the Clan secrets. After taking a closer look at the seal, he realised that the bodies strewn around him that his clones had moved away before, were from the paralysis component imbedded into the seal, probably for capturing anyone who would've been stupid enough to try to out-seal a Fuuinjutsu centred Village.

(Those intruders had starved to death, there was no one around to interrogate them, after all. No survivors- not even civilians left to question the intruders' intentions.)

His hand lingered for a moment because was _he_ desecrating the Village and stealing the Clan secrets? He had never been to Uzushio after all, never having the time to do much other than recuperate from his lost arm and study textbooks to become Hokage.

_(He became Rokudaime when Kakashi-sensei had d- ~~passed away~~ left anyway. Sensei's inauguration had been delayed and after Danzo and then Kakashi, Arashi had became the _third _Rokudaime. However that worked._

_After all, the Physics behind air pressure and velocity meant shit in front of chakra deities.)_

(At least over the seven months of semi-house arrest, he had finally unravelled his Tou-san's signature Hiraishin; it was how the idea of a time travel seal took action in the first place. _It never occurred to him that_ he _would be sent back.)_

Arashi shook off his thoughts. He _was_ an Uzumaki, in _both_ lives, what was he thinking? (The Hokage should never had hid this from him in the first place.)

He bit his thumb, breaking his skin and waited until a bead of red appeared before letting it spill onto the seal. The carvings flashed and flickered then deactivated.

Without the seal holding the stone door strong anymore, it crumbled and cracked, a cloud of dust billowing up as the rocks had creaked, sliding to the side, revealing stone steps that curved down, around then out of sight.

"Oh." He had raised his eyebrows at the amount of dust that surrounded him before gingerly stepping down. Feeling slightly claustrophobic at the sudden lack of sunlight, he let a small ball of fire flicker in his palm, powering it with just a _tiny wisp_ of chakra to make sure Arashi didn't blow up the entire pathway.

The air was stale and he could see moss growing in between the cracks of the stone floor. Every time he heard a scuttle of insect legs, he had whipped around, wind chakra encasing his hand and expected a jump-scare.

 **"Brat."** Kurama had opened an eye in his mindscape. **"I was going to leave you to your Uzumaki sealing gunk but your thoughts are** _ **so** _ **noisy. Calm down, I cannot sense any potentially dangerous figures in three kilometres radius... other than the** **_terrifying_** **insects, of course."**

"Oh shut it, Kurama, stop saying that like I'm scared of them."

Another bug had twitched and with a squeak, Arashi manipulated the air currents around them and then used a deadly accurate, miniscule wind scythe to decapitate its head... or its butt. He couldn't really tell.

**"That was an ant."**

Arashi could hear his deadpan tone even without being in his mindscape.

"Bite me. Edo Tensei-ed Deidara had a lasting impact, ok?" He scowled, "no pun intended." He tacked on when remembering the scorch marks littered across the ground.

When Arashi _felt_ Kurama roll his eyes, he stopped walking and closed his eyes, imagining the hairy spiders and insectile bugs and projected them into his mindscape. Hearing Kurama screech undignifiedly had been worth the shiver of disgust Arashi had felt conjuring them. 

No one had known when Kaguya or one of her tens of thousands of Zetsu minions had gotten their hands on Edo Tensei but no one had questioned it- it wouldn't have helped anyone.

Deidara and the creepy crawlies that came with him were just many of the reincarnated enemies they had had to face.

Finally, he arrived in front yet another door underpinned by an array of seal markings. With a bite of his thumb- Kurama had already healed the wound from before, the door, _yet again_ crumbling without the chakra supporting it.

However, Arashi didn't have the time to wrinkle his nose at the decaying wood because in front of him were shelves and _shelves_ brimming full of various scrolls and books: thick, thin, small and large. He had squeezed out all the Fuuinjustsu from Konoha but his knowledge from there couldn't even touch this...

"I'm... I'm going to be _real_ busy." He says aloud to Kurama, mouth dry as he eyed the library-worth of materials shoved into a single dusty room.

Kurama just swishes his tails around him, preparing for a year-long nap and doesn't mention how Arashi didn't need to perfect every one of those scrolls.

**"Hmph, your _Uzumaki_ _pants_ are showing. You and that old bag shared this stupid trait."**

"My what?" Arashi spoke warily, because the chakra beast _hated_ talking about his days in Uzumaki Mito- well at least he _should_ be talking about Mito because Kurama always called her "a damned prideful, old bag." 

**"They were always like that- having to perfect everything because, and I quote: 'An Imperfect Seal is a Null One'... or it was 'An Incomplete Seal is a Null One.' A real Uzumaki verbal tic that was, darned Uzukage said one or the other _every single bloody_ day."**

"That's what normal people are like, Kurama," Arashi said, raising an eyebrow. "Because if you haven't mastered a Jutsu then there's a very high possibility that it'll explode in your face- and I mean literally."

**"Whatever you say, brat. Just don't go around spewing that saying now that I told you."**

(Kurama _hates_ that clan and their fiddly sealing and chains and scrolls. Arashi sometimes doesn't think himself as a _normal_ Uzumaki and damn right he isn't- because Arashi is the _only Uzumaki_ that Kurama will ever like.)

* * *

Six months later, Kurama cracks open an eye. Sorting through Arashi's memories.

_'Sasuke would've loved this-'_

_'Sakura always showed interest in how Karin's ability worked...'_

_'The water is so clear, I wonder how long it had taken for the red of blood to be washed out-'_

Ok, Kurama can skip his angst.

_-spamming of shadow clones-_

_-banging his head against the shelf-_

_-fixing the shelf he broke-_

_-more shadow clones-_

_-henge-d clones going to buy essentials-_

_-MORE shadow clones-_

_-'I'm going to clean up this place!'-_

_-'Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Ju-'_

_-ouch, splitting headache-_

_-'I'm going to rebuild this place!'-_

**'That _idiot._ '**

_-meditating on the sea-_

_-blast of wind, the uneven waves of water-_

_'No wonder it's hailed Whirlpool Country,' Arashi eyed the spinning vortex of water and-_

Kurama sighed.

_-'What if I jump in?'_

Kurama decides to sigh once more to accentuate his point.

He closes his eye and falls back asleep. All was normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> current time line and ages:
> 
> before arriving at uzushio:  
> arashi: 23  
> he timetravelled 15 years into the past (YES I FREAKING CHANGED IT CUZ I DIDNT PLAN THE PLOT OR NUFFIN-) 
> 
> fall of uzushio: 20 years ago 
> 
> rookie 9: 9  
> team gai: 10 (duh)  
> 
> 
> akatsuki:  
> deidara: 11 (unrecruited)  
> itachi: 13-14 (post massacre)  
> idgaf abt the ages of the rest
> 
> orochimaru: 46  
> tsunade: 47  
> jiraiya: 46
> 
> OBVIOUSLY AFTER HIS ONE YEAR LONG STAY AT UZUSHIO, EVERYONE'S AGES IS +1
> 
> btw was this chapter too short??? i mean, at this rate ill prolly be posting chapters every few days if not more sooo  
> next chapter will be abt arashi + important info abt the time travel seal (maybe)  
> then more exploration of his OP-ness  
> and then CHIBI DEIDARA FINALLY  
> 
> 
> anyway, leave a kudo or a comment :p  
> see ya!


	6. a civilian merchant that is poor, but not too poor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> uzushio and arashi has plans
> 
> also enter: senjutsu 
> 
> (sorry, no chibi deidara cuz im so bad at this thing yall call story building)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some pov over the year in uzu
> 
> chibi deidara will soon enter the chat very soon (unless i get off topic)
> 
> (i always get off topic)
> 
> ALSO NOTE:  
> (my inner teenager is currently in a simp for bishonen stage forgive me  
> if any of yall have watched heaven's official blessing or in chinese- 天官赐福, then come and simp for san lang w me in the comments)

Kurama had been poking around his mindscape ever since the 365th day hit but _damnit_ it wasn't Arashi's fault that he didn't want to step away from his motherland. 

(He spent a year stabilising himself. He doesn't want all that work to come undone just from seeing a familiar face.)

He was sat upon the ever restless waters surrounding Uzushio, letting his Natural Energy flow over him in waves.

Arashi knew that when he opened his eyes and peered into his slightly distorted reflection, he would see long black inked lines drawing up from the corners of his eyes with reddish orange following underneath, circling around the outer edges of his orbicularis roll, nostalgically reminding him of the time Ino had wrestled him into acting as a makeup doll. His bottom lip stung from the sudden length and sharpness from his canines and he let his jaw unhinge, his animalistic fangs meeting the afternoon heat of the sunlight. His hands, resting upon his knees had loosened to prevent scratches from his elongated, sharp nails. 

Flowing over his shoulders, even after tying it high up into a ponytail, would be silver tipped strands, a vivid red bleeding into a shimmering grey.

Even after shearing off a good five inches off his hair a month ago with a clean knife he had recently bought, something in his genes just _demanded_ for his hair length to stay at waist length. He hope it doesn't become too much of a liability in the upcoming fights- it takes for _ever_ to dry out; he never had the heart to cut off so much hair all at once, not when it had grown long throughout the years of war and memories. But every time it gets caught in the doorways or gets stuck in his food, he thinks that _maybe_ he could go bald for a few years.

Arashi then vaguely remembers his Kaa-san's ankle length hair then feels like he just tempted his DNA to do a _Hari Jizo._

Matching colours with his hair tips was his silvery eyes with slitted pupils. Arashi offhandedly thought that the Sages must have amazing beauty sense, first a facsimile of orange eye shadow and now these fancy shiny colours.

Upon his forehead was the black outline of a shape, somewhere between a tear-drop and a rhombus, and it reminded him of Tsunade-baachan and Sakura's Byakugo. It was also similar to that Jutsu in how it gathers chakra in a pinpoint- probably to relieve the strain on his mind when the Sage mode gives him enhanced senses, it would help Kyuubi Chakra Mode too. Every time Kurama enhanced his sight or his hearing, the organ would sting or ring horribly in the aftermath before he healed it.

The Sage mode for Kitsunes was pretty nice. 

Arashi was hesitant on whether or not he should redo the blood contract with the Toads but Kurama decided for him, ferociously arguing that he didn't want those _'old hag, old bag_ _frogs'_ near him.

So, Arashi dug up a Kitsune summon, the contract having only two summoners before him. When he saw 'kitsune' he had imagined prickly, irritated old foxes like Kurama so he was certainly surprised when Inari, an eight-tailed spirit, had very quickly deemed him as a 'worthy mortal to be summoned by'. 

And that was even _before_ they found out about his tenant.

So, ever since he was accepted as a "worthy" summoner by the Head Kitsune, Inari, the shape had not left his forehead, he was at a conflict whether or not he's meant to cover it up. After all, if it was a symbol of pride then it'd be an insult to the Kitsunes, but then again, it made him stand out (who was he kidding, his hair already did the work).

And on that note, he had found out the reason behind his new appearance.

The scrolls informed that exogenous-chakra powered seals first absorbed the most external or abnormal chakras and then split the Yin Yang parts of chakra, feeding itself with equal parts of Yin and Yang.

His most recent, noticeable chakra disturbance was his Kaa-san's chakra memory, so the time travel seal had utilised _her_ chakra memory as a foundation and thus absorbed the _Uzumaki_ type of chakra flow from within him. Whatever that meant.

For all that he could suck up Fuuinjutsu faster than ramen soup, he was not yet fluent in gibberish.

Uzushio scrolls had mentioned it somewhere, something about dissecting chakra signatures. He remembers the three categories: external influence, internal or psychological state and then most importantly, heritage- which was then divided into chakra coil development, chakra capacity and chakra flow based from the parents of the said person.

Arashi didn't know chakra signatures could even _be_ dissected.

But it _kindaaa_ makes sense because Karin had always mentioned that when he was irritated, his chakra was _strangling_ her and even if he wasn't then she had jokingly told him that she still felt like she was drowning in it.

It meant that his chakra signature would feel like a mix of his current emotions, _maybe_ Kurama if he used the beast's power, his enormous chakra capacity, uhh, his Tou-san's steady flow of chakra...

 **"Civilian-originated Genesis."** **Kurama had suggested.**

Arashi had groaned because a steady flow of chakra equated to naturally good chakra control. Why didn't _he_ inherit his Tou-san's pin-point chakra control? 

**"To reiterate: Genesis."**

What he does have _now_ from his Tou-san was his build. Whereas Before he had an average height and stockier build from his Kaa-san's side (apparently Kushina was an exception from the heavier build of Uzumakis, they needed a larger frame to properly utilise their tanks worth of chakra), now he was _unfortunately even shorter_ and skinny. Like, since-I-was-a-civilian-orphan-I-am-malnourished _skinny_.

He figures that surviving on Soldier Pills and rations wouldn't have been any good... is this karma?

He had recalled his Kaa-san saying: "... _then I told him, he was too pretty to be Hokage-"_

Yeah. Pretty. And thin.

In the way that 12 year old Sakura wanted to be. _Super_ skinny. 

Like a stick. Completely snap-able-

**"Less satisfying to eat with the minimal spinal resistance-"**

"Shut up, Kurama! Go finish your year long nap!"

Well to others (as in civilians), he was considered pretty normal, but to _Arashi,_ it felt like a strong wind could push him away. Which was funny because that was his Natural Affinity.

_'However,'_ Arashi had decided- more to reassure himself than anything, 'it was beneficial because _while he does feel like a tornado could kill him,_ he was far faster and could jump far higher.'

So to summarise, his colours had simply went from Tou-san to Kaa-san and his build went from Kaa-san to Tou-san. Brilliant. And confusing.

He opens his eyes and _oh,_ when had night fallen? He steadily rises to his feet, accordingly adjusted his chakra to stay surfaced on the rolling waves. He counted down two hours until midnight- his birthday. Arashi walked steadily towards his temporary stay- the most redeemable little house that had barely survived the destruction.

With his Sage mode activated, he couldn't sense any people around Uzushio as usual, it truly was a ghost Village.

Arashi entered his room, automatically eyeing all his scrolls to check their presence. He ought to readjust the storage seal tattoos. Arashi had one on his left shoulder and another next to the crook of his inner right elbow.

Seemingly random but totally suited for his extremely random fighting style. 

While his shadow clones prepare the ink pots and needles with dexterous fingers, Arashi changed into his fighting gear. Just thinking about going through the trouble to get a fake Kiri headband made his head hurt, all the decent, closer shinobi stores were either in Kirigakure or in Konohagakure and Arashi was _not_ prepared to face familiar people before he rids this world of the scum.

His long-sleeved, light weight, black turtle neck was sitting comfortably under his thin but durable grey armour- similar to the one in the Anbu standard gear. He wore black slacks fitted underneath his knee-high, leather, open-toed sandals, his shoe-wear giving an extra layer of protection for his shins. Resting on the side of his left thigh was a pouch full of sealing scrolls and a pack of three-pronged kunai.

On his left upper arm, he had fitted a red Uzumaki arm band in lieu of a hitai-ate and had an elbow-length, fingerless, armoured glove because he could very clearly anticipate himself using his unguarded, non-dominant hand as shield. 

Finally, he slung his long chokuto across his back and clipped a Kitsune half-mask on his hip, tying his red locks into a higher and more secure ponytail.

In the light of the Hunter's Moon, Arashi took one final look at his Kaa-san's Village.

It was cleaner, devoid of the eldritch, half-decomposed bodies and the rubble that had been scattered like bird seeds across the pathways.

He felt melancholy, leaving this place.

Arashi cast out a gentle Fuuton around him to cover his sudden teleportation.

* * *

He appeared just above the Hiraishin seal mark in an isolated cave around the East-Southern most of Yugakure. When he had ran from Yuki to Uzushio, he had left a mark here. 

Leaving his hair uncovered and his appearance unchanged, he didn't bother with stealth as he walked through the street, with Yukigakure in mind for his next destination.

Might as well get the rumours rolling. 

'Kazama Arashi,' he pondered to Kurama, walking swiftly across the Village and Shunshin-ing when there were no observers present, 'was the son of Uzumaki Akane, an unnamed Uzushio Chunin and Kazama Soma, a merchant from Sand- an unlikely couple after the Second Shinobi War. They had met near the Land of Waves about a decade before the destruction of Uzushio that instigated the Third Shinobi war. 

When the skirmishes between Iwa and Kumo got more politically challenging, my 'mother' had sent Soma and I, a toddler, away to the Land of Wind, hoping that the distant relationships between the two countries could hide his Uzumaki background. There were plenty of redheads there too- it was unsafe for Uzumaki infants because they were still being targeted by Kumo shinobi and the treaties were tentative at best, teetering on the line of attacking.'

**"I am unconvinced that you remembered all those history lessons."**

'A- _hem,_ Uzushio fell not long after and 'I' was around 3 at the time. Uzumaki Akane had died as a faceless woman to 'baby me'. Soma, burdened by the fall of Uzushio and his own Village going to War, failed to keep his duty as a father and 'I' was abandoned, spending my fourth and fifth years eating off scraps from pitying citizens.'

**"Shit father."**

'God, Kurama, stop with the commentary, it's just a fake backstory! Anyway, that can be the reason why I'm so... stick. I was picked up by a middle aged, um, Ronin named, uhh, Kaeru and a retired Jonin named Hanami.'

**"Frog? And blossom?" At Arashi's pointed glare, Kurama rolls his eyes. "Yes, I know. In memory of that Jiraiya and Pinkie- Sakura. No name in honour of Kakashi?"**

'Well, excuse me for not being able to pull a name outta my ass that means _scarecrow,_ why don't you try?'

 **"...Kuebiko?"**

'Moving on, _Kaeru_ and _Hanami_ were a couple who, I later found out, were friends with Uzushio citizens. They recognised who my 'mother' was and they taught me Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Kenjutsu and basic Yang Jutsus to hide my appearance.'

**"Forgoing your trustworthy Rasengan?" Kurama asked dryly.**

'I'm not that dumb, Kurama. Besides it's not like its the _only_ Ninjutsu I use.' Arashi replied, ignoring Kurama's **_'whatever you say'_** . 'My two psuedo-parents were later killed when I was fourteen by Kakuzu who was bounty-hunting. I, depressed and lonely, went to Uzushio. And when I heard about Akatsuki, I _instantly_ recognised Kakuzu's organisation and then at age 24, now, I will go hunt him down-'

**"For such a hard-core pacifist, that backstory was practically rooted off vengeance."**

'-and the rest of Akatsuki had just gotten in my way of justice so I _also_ defeated them. Conveniently.'

**"Rightttt," he drawled. "A criminal organisation of S-Ranked Nuke-Nin wanted across the Five Great Shinobi Countries were just, you know, in the way so you just _conveniently_ defeated those, I repeat, _S-Ranked Nuke-Nin._ Kit, no one's going to believe that."**

Arashi sniffs in response, 'Naruto or no, you can't rid me of my unpredictability.'

**"Humph, I'm fine with that. I'm just not sure how the rest of this world is going to take it."**

"Pfft." Arashi said aloud as the border of Yukigakure was coming in sight.

He didn't exactly know why his mind had decided to come back here.

_If_ Sasuke had managed to come back too then he would arrive roughly around the same place as Arashi had but he knew it was close to impossible, there was absolutely no way Sasuke could get back this quickly. (He scoured the snow for even a single _drop_ of blood.)

There was absolutely no way. (He trekked across the ground, looking for signs of life.)

Sasuke would need to spend a long time, hiding himself and then gathering chakra at the same time. (He looked for covered indents that suggested hidden footprints.)

Sasuke was the- _was the only person there_ so it would be really hard for him to- (Arashi strained his senses for a breath of life.)

Even at death's door, he doesn't think Sasuke would leave behind an amateur track such as chakra footprints but Arashi checks for his spiritual energy all the same-

**"Kit, stop."**

Kurama voice was gentle but hadn't sound pitying and wasn't Arashi so thankful for it-

**"You've been here for hours."**

It'd been a year since Arashi had left the world from Before and only the most naïve, most _hopeful_ optimists would say that Sasuke may come in around the next few years or so. 

Arashi- _Naruto_ may have been most hopeful, an optimist. After the return of Kaguya- that darned day six years ago, Arashi had to become a realist, meaningless words with ambitious too large in the face of disaster would only induce negative responses.

(But then why does he still feel his stomach drop like weight? Why does it hurt so _much_ when he _knew_ that it wasn't possible?)

It had been a year and Arashi had accepted reality but that doesn't mean he had to _understand_ it.

It had been a year and Arashi had accepted that Sasuke was still in the world from Before but that _doesn't mean he doesn't get to wishhopebeg for him to join him in this lonely world full of people that he doesn't know-_

Arashi hates what he's feeling- what he's asking of Sasuke because he was _literally alone_ with only reanimated corpses, Zetsus, Kaguya and her fellow Otsutsuki buddy as company. 

(Sasuke only has the company of thousands of dead shinobi's _bodies._ )

Arashi huffs a breath, he thought he had gotten over it already.

(He has, but he doesn't think he'll ever get over Sasuke.)

A presence enters the perimeter of his sensory range and Arashi freezes, malice curling in his gut.

'Kurama, is that-'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahah guess who?
> 
> leave a kudo or a comment (both if you want me to cry in happiness)  
> see ya :3
> 
> this is slow build af gosh-
> 
> OMAKEEEEE (in case some smartass brings this up):  
> 'Moving on, Kaeru and Hanami were a couple who, I later found out, were friends with Uzushio citizens. They-'  
>  **'Hold on, brat. Does that mean you think Jiraiya would be with Sakura?'**  
>  'Eww!' Arashi exclaimed, scrunching up his face. 'First of all, Sakura doesn't even like males. And secondly but even more importantly, Jiraiya is old enough to be Sakura's grandpa! It's just a name, you damn fox!'


	7. not a chapter, i repeat, not a chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ok edit: everything sucks and i hate technology

ok **help me here, y'all**

im not tooooo sure of wat arashi's going to be wearing after the akatsuki have been razed but im leaning towards the traditional side- like haori and yukatas n stuff idek.

i mean, have you seen the wano kuni designs in one piece?? zorojuro + law = fine aF

look at dem finee mennnnnn

*wipes the drool off my chin*

i am also so conflicted on the color scheme cuz on _one_ hand, orange is like arashi- well, naruto's og color. and it'd b nice to have a bit of it. howeverrr, red and orange clash so, yeah.

conflicted.

if u dont get what i mean, here:

fine, fine, fine then _heuRGhh._ no offense. maybe its just adult naruto's design but the orange and the red dont work, ya know?

in other fics, ive seen purple being suggested cuz kurama red + naruto blue = purple... yeah? no?

usually, the lazy part of me would slap black on it cuz black works w everything. but i dont want naruto to looking like he's mourning-

wait.

it could be good symbolism???

black is the new orange??????

ive underestimated kishi's ability to make everything work.

back to the actual clothes:

i mean, there arent many traditional clothes wearing shinobi are there? like theres the sannin, who all wear traditional asian clothes, neji, tenten, temari and also utakata. ok maybe there are quite a few but i mean one that suits arashi..?

i mean, i dont think anyone other than neji could pull off the apron-

yeah i mean literally- this is what it says on wiki:

" In Part II, Neji changed the clothing and bandages of his former wardrobe for a white kimono-shirt with long, loose sleeves, matching pants, **a navy-grey apron tied around his waist** , and black shinobi sandals. "

and yeah, dont forget deidara lmao idek y im so 'deidara this deidara that' cuz idrl him, he's a meh character, sorry deidara fans- if there r any.


	8. art (IS AN EXPLOSI- move it, firecracker!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AND YES finally, the almighty chibi deidara has finally been introduced.
> 
> 花火  
> Hanabi  
> Fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new years special??
> 
> i mean even if it wasn't new years, i still would've done this. i always thought deidaras ambition was lacking. he never really held any true loyalty to akatsuki other than his relationship w sasori.  
> *cues talk no jutsu*
> 
> i decided to use fireworks as deidara's incentive to uh idk, do art? and since its new years, it must be... FATE.
> 
> *neji enters the chat-
> 
> tbh this is starting to feel like an oc less of a timetravel fic gosh-

Deidara was an orphan. He had known that there were many orphans from the Third Shinobi War and as far as he knew, orphans weren't important.

He wasn't important enough to have the ability to wander outside, even though Sister _knows_ that Deidara wouldn't do something dumb like getting lost. Everyday of his five years of life was boring, tedious, monotone. Nothing could satisfy his thirst for... _something._ At first the smelly, moldable 'play-dough' thing was slightly interesting to play with. But then it got boring. There was no... no _climax._ He was looking for _something,_ a single _moment_ of absolute art. 

He wanted _more._ This life was boring, tedious, m-

When he had said it aloud, Mother had always reprimanded him for speaking like that, saying: _"Don't speak like that. We must be grateful for the normalcy of our life, Dara-chan. People should never wish for anything more, lest a disaster be struck upon us once more."_

Well, Deidara hadn't said it _aloud_ anymore. He said it in his head. Because it was true, everyday _was_ boring, tedious, monotone, they couldn't deny it, hm.

Until one night, December 31st, Mother hadn't told Deidara off for wandering around past the curfew and instead told him to wake everyone else up. She had motioned to Sister to open the windows and-

"Why?" Deidara had wrinkled his nose, then blew his blonde fringe away from his eye. "It's so cold outside, hm."

Sister had just smiled at him as the other drowsy kids had stumbled in, yawning. They had sat in a small huddle, all looking wary at the sudden event. After sitting for what seemed like half an hour with the chilling wind sending shivers up every child's spine, a girl had raised her hand,

"Um, Mother, why have you called us here?"

Mother had just nodded out the window, they all looked where she was looking, there were those stars, yes, but there were stars there every night save for cloudy days.

Wow, Deidara had shivered, this night is _worse_ than the normal nights, not only is it so _freezing_ it's also boring, tedi-

_**BANG** _

Everyone whipped their heads to try and locate the source of the whistling noise when-

**Bang!**

-again.

Deidara _stared,_ gaping up at the silent spark that had suddenly exploded into a thousand extraordinary particles of light, conquering the dark blue of the night sky.

Those- what were they called? That- that _art_ had Deidara captivated, it blossomed more beautifully than the cherry blossoms on the sakura tree Sister watered everyday, it shined more stunningly than the full Moon he had seen through the small telescope passed around to all the orphans, it was more magnificent than any crayon or disfigured sculpture Sister had shoved in his face- yes, this could only be called _art._

The explosions kept cutting through the black like they were super-imposed, like the stars behind were only a backdrop brought in for the occasion. Every streak bore a curve, every brilliant, flashing line had a looked alive, organic in the way they grew and flew.

Some shot straight up before exploding, others had whirled in a spiral, some shattered into thousands of sparks, another had tumbled like an emerald waterfall then lingered in the sky in a glittering silver shower.

Deidara watched as the light kept soaring until they were extinguished by the suddenly stifling-looking darkness.

The orphans had stared intensely at the quiet night sky, mouths still agape and eyes still wide.

"Well," Sister had chuckled softly. "Maybe if you children were always this quiet, we can show you the next time."

(The incessant roar of explosions on that night never failed to disappear in the minds of the awe-struck orphans.)

* * *

Deidara was an orphan. Orphans weren't important.

That's why he got super suspicious when the _Tsuchikage,_ apparently the big boss of the boss of the boss of Mother, had came to visit him the following week.

To citizens, it was an act of kindness,

_"Not only is Tsuchikage-sama strong and brave, he is also kind-"_

Deidara knew better. This event ranked Seven on his sus-meter which means it's _super_ sus, hm. Even though he was five, he was an orphan so he couldn't afford to be dumb. 

"Deidara, was it?" Tsuchikage-sama had said, he didn't sound like he was waiting for a reply. "Did you see the fireworks last week?"

 _Fireworks._ That's what they were called.

"I saw them, hm. What about it, Tsuchikage...-sama." Deidara looked at the unimpressed expression on Onoki's face and kinda wishes he paid more attention in Etiquette Class (nah, who was he kidding, he didn't give no pennies).

"Did you like it?" The Tsuchikage had continued and Deidara's sus-meter shot even higher up.

"Of course I did, Tsuchikage-sama! It was beautiful- it was _true art!"_ He crowed, throwing his arms in the air.

"Well, would you like to create that... art?"

"Of course, hm!"

The old man stood up and handed him a slip of paper before turning around and walking away.

"This is the official apprenticeship application, with my permission, after the standard training, you could become an asset to the Explosion Corps. I'll see you around, Deidara-kun."

Ok, at that, Deidara's sus-meter shot off the mark and rocketed to the Moon. He contemplated on questioning his reasoning but that'd be dumb. The big boss of the boss of the boss of Mother was the _Tsuchikage._

He was just glad that his days were _finally_ becoming exciting.

He couldn't wait to begin his journey as an artist.

* * *

They had lied. All of them.

Sister had said they might see the 'fireworks' again but they never did even though they were super good and super quiet.

It turns out that Deidara had Bakuton, an Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai and when Onoki, that old man, had thought he was old enough, he had ordered the Explosion Corps to put up a display, to- what, _woo_ him into joining young.

His friends back at the orphanage had also lied, they'd said they would be friends forever but after Onoki had visited him, they had gotten jealous and mad. He hadn't seen them since.

Mother had _also_ lied even though she always preached about honesty, she talked as if having no normalcy was a horrible thing.

As he dodged a flurry of senbon then caught a kunai and two shuriken, he gathered chakra under his foot and shot forward and away from his pursuers. 

He threw a detonating clay back-

"Katsu!"

An explosion erupted behind him, the bang drowning out their screams.

(He shoved down the dirty feeling of _killing_ and of the clay that _had_ _killed_ on his hands.)

When he saw no more stubborn pursuers, he slowed to a walk, he was planning to head towards Yukigakure before flying straight to Land of Water using C2. There were rebels near Kiri who wanted his services. Deidara double-checked, then triple-checked his stash of detonating clay- getting involved in the Kiri clusterfuck even as a mercenary bomber was a bad idea but Deidara wanted people to acknowledge his art!

Mother had lied. This kind of life, that _wasn't_ boring, tedious or monotone, was absolutely amazing.

* * *

When Deidara thought he was _finally_ left unbothered, he felt a presence approach him from behind and-

"Aurghh- when will that old Onoki _leave me alone!"_ Deidara swung around and threw a small clay bomb. "Katsu!"

However, he didn't hear a dying scream or cry of pain and when something tapped him on the shoulder, he screeched into the face of an unfamiliar, foreign faced man. Oops.

"How are you faring, then, Firecracker, if that senile Kage is adamant on chasing you to the ground?" His voice was quiet but the lilt to his tone was clearly teasing.

"Uhh... hm" Deidara had met strangers before and even shinobi like him, but they were always looking at him with a disturbed expression, a wary one and they always seemed to look disapprovingly at his choice of art. Especially the ones who had seen his explosives. 

But _this_ stranger with attention-grabbing hair and nice eyes didn't look at him like he was mentally insane so he rummaged his mind for the scrapings of his Etiquette Class...

"You're hair is pretty." He announced blatantly before tacking on a- "hm." He studied the stranger's face for a even a _hint_ of uneasiness at his forwardness but, yet again, unlike all the strangers he'd met before, this stranger had looked pleasantly surprised and he twisted his lips up into a small smile.

"Thank you, I like your sculpture." He nodded to the clay spider twitching on his shoulder.

"Uhh..." Once again, Deidara had been bamboozled.

His mind had blanked. A _compliment._ Even if there _were_ cultured artists who knew how to appreciate art when ought to, they were usually disturbed by the creepy crawlies.

If he knew how unartful it looked like being speechless, he would've actually listened to Mother's rambles on manners. "You too... hm."

The stranger blinked at him, looking left to right as if a sculpture would appear out of thin air. Deidara didn't even bother hiding his urge to bash his head against a tree. How unbecoming of an artist!

"I don't make sculptures but I do do something similar."

"You do?" Deidara raised his head from the tree trunk.

"See here," he brought his left shoulder and with a small _poof,_ a sealing scroll appeared.

"Fuuinjutsu?" Deidara squinted, usually if strangers even _touched_ weapons, he would've blown them to pieces but for some reason, he felt no malicious intent from the man even as he held a scroll that could contain _anything in it._

"Yes," he unrolled the scroll until he could hold it stretched an arm's length away.

Deidara peered at the gibberish-looking scribbles, the random kanji, circles, lines and didn't get none of it.

"This looks like a child's _scribbles_ to me! How could you call it art, hm?" He paid no heed to the fact that he just provoked the stranger, art is more than just _writing_ or _drawing_ or whatever the hell _that_ mess was.

The stranger hadn't even blinked.

"The thing about art," the man tilts his face to look at him. "Is that it's unique, right?"

For a second, Deidara just _stares_ at the violet irises of the man's eyes before nodding. "Every explosion is unique, after all _Isshun no Geijutsu_ is true art, hm. And it's impossible to make the exact same artworks in a single moment, hm!"

"For Fuuinjutsu, it's unique in the way that it _isn't_ unique."

Deidara looked at him with a rictus small smile that screamed of utter confusion and the man had smiled almost _fondly_ at _him_.

"Child scribbles are unpredictable and messy. Fuuinjutsus _seem_ to be like that too, except-" he brings out another similarly-coloured scroll and when Deidara spends a minimum of ten seconds looking back and forth-

"They're identical! How does that work?" His eyes went from side to side, looking at stroke after stroke, line after line until his head started to throb.

"Fuuinjutsu looks like a 'child's scribbles', by your words, but then the thing with a child's scribbles is that they are nearly impossible to replicate. For someone to have the ability to glance at a mess and instantly unravel it, that's the talent of a seal master-" he looks pointedly at him, "or, in this case, an artist."

"It's just ink and paper though, there aren't any BANGsor magnificent results hm."

"Being able to replicate the unpredictable mess of matrixes and sequences in just mere seconds is already pretty impressive, no?"

"Seconds..." Deidara squints even _harder_ vainly trying to find a difference between the two seal markings. "I couldn't even copy that if you gave me a decade, hm!"

"Haha maybe, and you need to think about how art isn't just the result, the 'bang', but it is also the process and the effort. If I told you to copy this scroll until it's a pin-point duplicate and you spent _months_ doing it... when it's finally complete, wouldn't you feel more accomplished than doing something easier?"

"I wouldn't touch a sealing brush even if you gave a million ryo, hm. Now that you talked about it like that, just thinking of Fuuinjutsus make my head hurt... hm."

"The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. That's what I believe art is, Firecracker." The man smiles and shakes his head as if recalling an inside joke, tucking the two scrolls into his half-empty weapons pouch. "Imagine: there are thousands of different seals and millions of variations. A single _millimetre_ off and the entire work would have to be scrapped. An incomplete seal is a null one."

Deidara gawked at him. He had initially thought Fuuinjutsu was what old buggys did to earn spare money at the weapons store. But for an entire _work_ to be thrown out... he thinks about his plans on creating what will be soon called C4 and can't imagine ditching all of it.

"Sealing masters _are_ artist, don't you agree?" The man had a soft look on his face, eyes crinkling but Deidara felt like it would bite it in his ass back one day if he said no. Well, it wasn't that hard for an artist to agree.

"I'll relent, hm. The art of Fuuinjutsu is pretty magnificent. I acknowledge you as a fellow artist," Deidara looks at the clay spider perched on his shoulder and nods to it, "hm."

"So, what's your name, or should I just keep calling you Firecracker?"

"Deidara, Iwagakure shinobi- oh wait, no I'm not." Deidara tonelessly corrects. "Deidara of the, uh, Explosion Corps. Unofficial now that, you know, I'm a Nuke-Nin."

"Pleased to be of your acquaintance, Firecracker." The man said mock-formally.

"I introduced myself though!" He squawked in reply, then hastily reciprocated the question. "Who're you?"

"Kazama Arashi, a wandering, poor-ish civilian-merchant." This 'Kazama' says and-

Ok, Deidara concluded, the _stranger_ was definitely off his rocket.

"Kazama-san, do you want a chronological or alphabetical list of why you definitely aren't a civilian?" At least he was well-mannered enough to remember the honorifics, Deidara offhandedly thinks, still straining under the completely brainless lie Kazama had spouted.

When the man opened his mouth, Deidara hurriedly cut him off, "Chronologically it is; first of all, if you were a civilian merchant, you would be there-" he jutted his chin towards the crater in the floor behind them "-in little bits of bloody pieces hm. And second of all, you're wearing A-Grade shinobi gear that looks exactly like what the Anbu wear. And third o- you know what, I'm not even going to continue." 

"Oh, right." Kazama shrugged nonchalantly _._ "After I get my reveng- destro- kill- ahem, after I _exact justice_ upon a certain someone, I will be living as a humble, wandering, poor-ish civilian-merchant."

Deidara looks dazedly at the _moron_ in front of him but he then heatedly decided to not question Kazama's mental stability, so he asked,

"Who are you hunting, hm?"

"Kakuzu, the bounty hunter."

Deidara does a double-take while his two hands spit-take, clay flying out, "the- the S-Rank Nuke-Nin from Takigakure?"

"Mhm, and maybe, if I see them, I'll get rid of another few S-Ranks that were seen hanging around him on the way. By the way, what rank are you?"

Deidara, utterly flabbergasted, revoked his decision to not question Kazama's sanity- "Are you completely mad, hm?"

"Maybe." Kazama nods. "So, what rank? C? But then again, you're valuable enough for the Tsuchikage to send _Jonin_ after you. Even though you look about the age of a standard Genin or even Academy Graduate."

"Hm, when I left Iwa, they labelled me B-Rank because of a Kinjutsu and my artful explosive Kekkei Genkai. But now, lots of people have asked me to help them explode things hm. Onoki finally acknowledged the brilliance of my art and now I'm an S-Rank!" He preened. "...Hm." Then he swung around, eyeing the man suspiciously, "You aren't going to 'exact justice' upon me, right Kazama-san?"

"I have no reason to hunt down a little Firecracker like you, no matter the bounty." Kazama chuckled before a hint of warning entered his tone. "Unless, of course, you decimate innocent Villages and families using your abilities. That would be horribly unartful." Kazama's face had been wiped of emotion and Deidara had taken an unconscious step back, intimidated, before another teasing smile slipped onto his face.

"By the way, call me Arashi. Kazama-san makes me sound like an old geezer."

"You'd probably need it hm," Deidara relaxes and makes a show of looking him up and down. "You look like a little brat. How old are you even? 17? 16?" 

Arashi exhales loudly before grinning a grin that showed too many teeth. "24. You generally don't call people older than you 'brat'. And for the count, I'm around five inches taller than you, _l_ _ittler b_ _rat._ Aren't you 10 or something?"

"I'm 12," Deidara looks at him doubtfully. "You're definitely not 24, hm. But I'll call you Arashi-san if you don't call me Firecracker."

"Never."

"Game on, _Kazama-danna."_

* * *

When a smaller, weaker presence of Deidara's chakra signature had entered his range, his spine straightened and a growl ripped from his throat. _Deidara._ He was going to _kill-_

Arashi tries to call upon his anger and his drive for _annihilation_ because Deidara had killed innocents, he had destroyed _lives_ and he had _sat on Gaara's dead body like a log_ and his only ambition for being as such was to merely create _art._

Arashi could admit to the irony of Nagato's situation because in a way, his ideal _did_ in fact come to reality. The Shinobi Alliance only occurred because they were fighting together against Madara, Obito and then in consequence- Kaguya. 'Pain's' plan was for the Nations to come together under a pressure of a greater force and that had literally happened.

Nagato had imagined a world ruled by oppression, though, and it would never have worked out. Not to mention the Ten Tails really wasn't what he was told it was. So Nagato- Pain has to be stopped.

Nagato had still wanted peace in his own twisted way and in comparison, Deidara had been more of a villain despite being a mere two years older than the Naruto from Before...

That was when he actually realised that his presence was different, younger- meeker, almost. It was a presence that didn't scream of bloodshed or mindless explosives.

Arashi's anger didn't come, and he only felt profound weariness. _This_ Deidara hadn't killed innocents yet. _This_ Deidara hadn't joined the Akatsuki yet. _This_ Deidara was, how young? Around 10?

And so long as Deidara hadn't done anything yet, Arashi couldn't bring himself to hate him.

Calling upon his Natural Energy, he hid his presence as he watched the blond boy run and fight off his Iwa pursuers, analysing _this_ Deidara and comparing it to Sasuke's report on their last fight before Deidara's self-inflicted, spontaneous death.

 _This_ Deidara didn't smirk or taunt his enemies. He didn't flaunt his art in an egotistical way or show any signs of his sardonic, sadistic nature. When he saw the brief flash of guilt on his face, Arashi knew that he wasn't looking at the Akatsuki Deidara- the pyromaniac Deidara.

He just saw a little kid determined to justify his art.

Whatever left of his sliver of resentment he held had been grinded to fine dust in that very moment. Arashi jumped silently down from the branch he was observing on and uncovered his presence. And then he was promptly attacked.

"Aurghh- when will that old Onoki _leave me alone!_ Katsu!" 

Arashi easily batted away the clay figure before moving behind Deidara. His detonating sculptures hadn't reached their full potential yet as Arashi didn't even need to use Raiton to nullify it. He tapped the boy's unoccupied shoulder. Usually, his voice and yell would send memories of burning flesh and blood into his mind, but now, listening to the more childish tone of his speech, he couldn't draw the connections between the jeering pyromaniac and this rebellious boy.

"How are you faring, then, Firecracker, if that senile Kage is adamant on chasing you to the ground?" He said, voice quiet from a habit he had forced to create over the war. After a pause of slightly baffled silence, with a sheepish look on his face, Deidara very intelligently replied.

"Uhh... hm" 

_Wow_ , Arashi heedlessly thinks. 'Brat Edition Deidara really did _not_ have social skills. Was the influence of Hidan the root of his incivility?'

**"Don't tell me your 'forgive and repent' MO is coming back." Kurama says warningly.**

Arashi rubbed the back of his head bashfully, 'It never left?'

 **"Fine, I won't eat him, just don't let his awkwardness endear himself to you,"** **Kurama sighed.**

"You're hair is pretty... Hm."

Arashi couldn't stop the small smile curling on his lips, ignoring Kurama's grumble.

**"Annd he's a goner."**

* * *

**OMAKE ARASHI POV**

"Kazama-san, do you want a chronological or alphabetical list of why you definitely aren't a civilian?" 

Arashi blinked. And was about to reply when Deidara hurriedly interrupted him, "Chronologically it is; first of all, if you were a civilian merchant, you would be there-" he jutted his chin towards the crater in the floor behind them "-in little bits of bloody pieces hm. And second of all, you're wearing A-Grade shinobi gear that looks exactly like what the ANBU wear. And third o- you know what, I'm not even going to continue." 

**"Ok I'm starting to like this kid. We can both commiserate at your thick-headedness."**

"Oh, right." Kazama shrugged nonchalantly, ignoring Kurama, he had forgoton that he currently wasn't in a state where he could play off as a civilian _._ "After I get my reveng-

**"Did the Uchiha corrupt your mind?"**

"Destro-"

**"Too aggressive."**

"Kill-"

**"...'I don't have a dream, more of an ambition: I am going to kill a certain someone.'"**

"Ahem, after I _exact justice-"_ Arashi points a mental glare at Kurama, "-upon a certain someone, I will be living as a humble, wandering, poor-ish civilian-merchant."

After three beats of nonplussed silence, 

"Who are you hunting, hm?"

"Kakuzu, the bounty hunter."

Deidara's hands do a spit take- he didn't know they could do that- and Arashi nimbly dodges the flying clay, "the- the S-Rank Nuke-Nin from Takigakure?"

"Mhm, and maybe, if I see them, I'll get rid of another few S-Ranks that were seen hanging around him on the way. By the way, what rank are you?"

"Are you completely mad, hm?"

"Maybe." Being insane seemed fairly plausible. "So, what rank? C? But then again, you're valuable enough for the Tsuchikage to send _Jonin_ after you. Even though you look about the age of a standard Genin or even Academy Graduate."

Arashi smiled at Deidara's offended expression.

\-------

**OMAKE ARASHI POV.2**

"By the way, call me Arashi. Kazama-san makes me sound like a geezer." 

"You'd probably need it hm," Deidara looks him up and down and Arashi had never felt so self-conscious of his height before. "You look like a little brat-" _little brat?_ "How old are you even? 17? 16?" 

Arashi breathes in loudly to try and muffle the sound of Kurama cackling. "24. You generally don't call people older than you- 'brat'. And for the count, I'm around five inches taller than you, _l_ _ittler b_ _rat._ Aren't you 10 or something?"

**"It says something about you if you're arguing with a pipsqueak like him."**

"I'm 12. You're definitely not 24, hm. But I'll call you Arashi-san if you don't call me Firecracker." 

"Never." 

"Game on, _Kazama-danna."_

**"I _told_ you not to get attached."**

'I know I was going to befriend him but... he called me Danna.' Arashi thinks, stunned. 'Did I just replace Sasori?'

* * *

"So, danna, where are you heading?" 

"Land of Sound, now it's probably known as Land of Rice Fields." 

"What are you going to do there? Farm?"

"I'm going to go to Otogakure."

"I've never heard of it before, hm."

"You wouldn't have, it hasn't been built yet."

"So... you're building that Village hm?"

"No. I'm destroying it."

Deidara sweatdropped.

* * *

"Why are you following me?" Arashi raised a brow, Kage Bunshins materialising to the sides of him before disappearing in a blur a fraction of a second later, "I don't mind but I'm going West, closer to Iwagakure. Are you heading this way too?"

"Nah, I was planning on going to Kirigakure. Hm."

"Firecracker... are you cartographically-challenged? The Land of Water is East-South."

"They didn't give me a time limit," he shrugs, "the rebels can wait, hm. I just want to see the _art_ of the exploding debris from this Otogakure, hm!"

Arashi scratched his cheek, chuckling awkwardly. "I'll try to be quick then, Oto isn't too far. I'm upping the speed, let's see if Chibi S-Rank can keep up."

"You underestimate my art, danna!" Deidara shoves his hands into the pouches attached to his hip. "C2!"

* * *

Deidara watched as Kazama-danna walked out of the underground passage, flicking his chokuto quickly to cleanse it of the red, without a single speck of blood on his actual self.

Still jittery from being forced to stay outside, Deidara almost exploded artfully with excitement when Arashi had smiled humourlessly at him and said:

"This place is a shithole. Let it bang. Your most magnificent one please."

"With pleasure, hm!"

* * *

The Land of Rice Fields was soon coming into sight, the ground under Orochimaru's feet split as his chakra fluctuated angrily. He had failed to get Itachi's Sharingan... The Uchiha Dojutsu had once _again_ slipped out of his grasp. Pain had destroyed his labs claiming that he would not be an asset to the Akatsuki anymore. The audacity! After he had found out so much of the potential of Hashirama cells!

"Today," Orochimaru growls, ignoring the gut-wriggling sense of apprehension, "can _not_ get any worse."

* * *

"Katsu!" Deidara cackles as the first round of bombs go off, the smell of burning plastic and metals wafting through the air.

"Geijutsu wa..." He dramatically throws his arms up, the reds and oranges of the explosion painting a dramatic background. _"BAKUHATSU DA!"_

The second round of bombs exploded in a deafening roar, the circumference of the disaster had expanded, blowing debris into their faces. The amount of air pressure pushing against them had nearly dispelled Arashi's Henge.

Deidara actually stumbled at the sudden push of wind, his laughter cutting off. He scrunched his nose up as he spat out a leaf and removed a piece of glass that had caught in the ends of his hair.

Arashi snapped up straight when a Kage Bunshin had dispelled. 

"We need to get a move on, Firecracker. The snake is coming and the snake is mad."

"Wha-"

Inside his ersatz tornado, Arashi gripped a hand onto Deidara's shoulder and Hiraishin-ed back to Yugakure.

* * *

Orochimaru didn't know that tempting fate was an actual thing. After all, in the name of science, it simply _wasn't_ possible.

He watches the smoke billow from where he _knows_ his hideout is located at and for all that he was gung-ho about invincibility and immortality, he felt a part of him die right then and there.

* * *

Arashi watches with a smidge of guilt as Deidara dry heaves into the gravel.

"Sorry about that," he rubs the back of his head. "I forgot first-timers get nauseous."

"Nauseous- _hurgh,_ it felt like you ripped apart my intestines, hm! Wha- _uergh_ , what even was that?" Deidara wipes his mouth and grimaces before looking around... "This is... Yugakure?"

"You recognise this little cave?" Arashi asked, surprised. It would be bad if someone stumbled across his Hiraishin mark.

"Did you Shunshin? No that's impossible, you couldn't travel this far so quickly unless you were the infamous Yellow Flas-" The boy gasps, a comedic amount of shock on his face. He swings his head back and forth before latching on the Hiraishin seal etched into the stone. He gasps again.

"Is that- No way! Can you- Hirai-"

"Surely," Arashi interrupts hastily, "you know that for art to be unique, you mustn't spill the secrets behind it."

"Blasphemy! How would others acknowledge your art then?" Deidara puts a hand on his chest, aghast.

"Well, if they see the result and not know the constructs behind it, it adds an element of mystery behind it, doesn't it?"

"Ohh," Deidara nods and Arashi can't believe that appealing to _art_ would win over every single argument with the boy.

Another five clones dispelled and there was Kakuzu with- was Hidan a Jashinist as a _teen?_ He remembers his Bunshin thinking that he might've been like Deidara until-

_"Offer your blood to Jashin!" He slurped the blood off his scythe, the maniac grin looking spine-chilling on his prepubescent face._

...So, Iwagakure it was.

"Go to the Land of Water and wait for me there. One of my Henge-d Bunshin had found Kakuzu and his buddy so I can't come with you to Kiri." Arashi bit his lip, contemplating on whether or not to tell the boy about the Akatsuki. "There... there might be a bunch of guys in black and red cloaks who are trying to find you. They hire S-Rank Nuke-Nin and you're young and to them, malleable. Don't attract attention, somehow."

"Uh," Deidara visibly sorted through the information in his head. "How do I stay low if my main attacking style is explosives, hm?"

Arashi broke through the skin on his lip, brows furrowed before blanking his face from worry, sliding on a reassuring smile with practiced ease. "You're an S-Rank Nuke-Nin, use the squishy bits in your head." 

Deidara scowled. _What an adorable little shit._

"Anyway, do you have any notes you want to pass on to Onoki? It would be pretty funny to see him panic over it _and_ it'll be a nice warmup, slipping into the Tsuchikage's office."

Usually, Deidara would've looked at him like he was stupid, now, just nearly a week later, Deidara was already accepting his absurdity. 

What an endearing little Firecracker.

_(Dear old man,_

_Stop wasting your shinobi on me._

_You had trained me so you should know best that they can't catch me._

_If it's just Mother wanting to know if I'm still eating my vegetables then_ _you should send a letter._

_I can't see why else you would be so persistent on chasing me._

_It's starting to get a bit boring._

_My art can do better._

_Deidara)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new years
> 
> now im kinda semi-eh abt orochimaru  
> will he be good? redeemed? will he have a stupid seal like obitos? will he be driven to madness after tsunade and jiraiya ditched him? or will he just b a creepy snake bastard?
> 
> and thanks for reading :p


	9. the immortal wouldn't die so quickly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zombie combo enter the ring
> 
> and more akatsuki killing.
> 
> and also, arashi adopts another kid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugh i can NOT write fight scenes. and i currently have zero inspo and just want arashi to get to konoha gosh what do i DO??
> 
> so this is gonna be so rushed  
> consistent story pacing who???

**"Just yell 'Jashin sucks' and I could bet my tails that he'll come down on you."**

Arashi scanned the clearing, his Kage Bunshin had seen them lingering around the borders of Iwagakure so here he was, but for some reason, the two members were playing hide and seek. Their presences were poorly hidden and they were jumping to and fro like grasshoppers.

'Eh, I'll wait for them to settle down. I'll go deliver Firecracker's letter first.'

* * *

'And... perfect.' Arashi placed the last sticky note down. He leaned back to admire his work.

Arashi had first duplicated the letter, then stuck it once on the inner side of the door, the chair, the desk, in between his stacks of papers. Because he was bored, he also got Kage Bunshin to fold some into paper cranes to hang from the ceiling.

And for good measure, he put it on top of the Icha Icha collection that Arashi had the _horrible_ misfortune to stumble upon. For all he was passionate about hating Konoha, he still...

**'Urgh, isn't Onoki like 70?'**

'My thoughts exactly.'

He had eyed a bundle of important looking sticky notes next. It was ordered in a very precise chronological and ascending order... something about economy and finances- he grinned and slapped them onto the left wall, arranging the square notes in three capital letters.

He prepared to exit, slowly opening the door when-

_**CRASH!** _

"Hidan, you useless brat!" Kakuzu's voice thundered down the hall. 

'Finally,' Arashi mentally rolled his eyes, 'I was getting bored waiting for them to finish getting whatever info Iwa had.'

**"What are you planning? You can't fight here in case Onoki notices."**

"You say that like it was my fault my scythe had tipped it over, ya fucking scumbag!" Hidan screeched. The two of them were running down the hallway towards him and Arashi could feel the presences of Iwa Elite Jonin chasing the two closely behind. 

Suddenly recalling Deidara's motion sickness, Arashi grinned.

**"Please do not tell me you're going to give your trump card away to your own _enemies._ "**

Arashi's grin did not fade. 'Come _on_ , I'm exploiting every possible strength in it.'

He quickly summoned a Kage Bunshin to ensure his Hiraishin isn't witnessed. 'I placed a seal near the border of Iwa. Perfect place to duke it out.'

Arashi concealed his chakra, lowering himself on a leg. He leant downwards onto his calf, tilting forward... and with a burst of strength, snapped forward like a spring. Even without chakra enhancements, he felt the ground give in to the sudden boost, the air whistling next to his ears and just as he was about to crash into the two Akatsuki members who still hadn't recognised his presence, he gathered a prick of chakra, held the two's shoulders with a death-tight grip, and Hiraishin-ed away. 

* * *

The three Iwa Elite Jonin _swore_ they had seen two figures running away. So... why was there no one there?

They turned around to report to the Tsuchikage-sama when they saw the door to his office wide open.

"What the..." One of them peeked inside and did a double-take at the letters spelt out using sticky notes.

**A-R-T**

The Jonin chuckled before shaking his head.

"What is it, Daichi?"

"No, it's nothing, this just reminded me of a little apprentice I had before."

The other Elite Jonin cocked his head. "I didn't think _you'd_ have any apprentices that would dare defile Tsuchikage-sama's office like that though. You were always a goody-two-shoes."

"Of course, you wouldn't think so." Daichi smirked, ignoring the third Jonin's insistent hiss of: 'that's an A-Rank secret!', "Not many people know that my little spitfire of an apprentice is Deidara."

The other Elite Jonin froze, (while the third one groaned) whirling around because-

"The S-Rank Nuke-Nin?!"

"I'm proud," Daichi sniffed, turning away from the third Jonin's increased volume of grumbling. "Shut up, Haruma."

"Daichi is a goody-two-shoes you said?" Haruma, the Elite Jonin no. 3, nearly yelled, looking heavenward before groaning again. 

"Stop with the moaning, Haru." Daichi made a face. "It's unbecoming of an Iwa shinobi. Go take a cold shower or something."

(The Arashi Bunshin watching the exchange from the shadows looked slightly stunned, he recalled Kakashi's words on how Konoha is the only Village with shinobi as unconventional as them and very passionately disagrees.)

* * *

Arashi looked at the two disorientated Nuke-Nin and inwardly gave Kurama a victorious grin. He quickly summoned a dozen Kage Bunshin. Five for each of Kakuzu's lives, three for Hidan, two for emergency and two more for scouts. 

Not waiting for them to gain their bearings, Arashi focused chakra into his legs and shot towards Kakuzu, arm raised. Him first. As his experience had declared, he had instinctively brought a kunai out, deflecting his blow. Or well, attempting to.

'Too bad for him.' Arashi thought without remorse, pulling his arm encased in wind chakra away from where it had impaled his chest. One life down. Kakuzu slumped down onto floor, stomach up, faking his death.

Hidan was still stumbling drunkenly and a Kage Bunshin took the opportunity to deliver a chakra enhanced reverse punch, the figure flying away, drawing the two partners away from each other.

He eyed the slumped form of Kakuzu, not for one second believing his act. Without waiting for the Nuke-Nin to jump up again, the Kage Bunshin that had dived into the ground slammed a small Rasenshuriken into his back where he knew his all his masks were. _Crack. Crack. Crack..._ One- tw- three masks. 

With a stunned screech, Kakuzu ripped off his Akatsuki cloak and the thick black threads pushed him up and off the ground away from the danger of his Jutsu. It was far too late though, the miniscule wind chakra blades would have already torn apart his back muscles, obliterated his right arm and by the looks of it, his right hip as well.

**"You didn't manage to kill him even after that direct hit? A bit pathetic, no?"**

Arashi grimaced, 'Give me a break, he had survived a fight with Shodaime before.'

**"You... surpassed Hashirama years ago."**

"Very impressive, I underestimated you." Takigakure's Kinjutsu, Earth Grudge Fear, twitching in the air. Arashi glanced carelessly at the wiggly, waggly black threads, wondering how he was ever intimidated by those noodle-looking strings.

"No one had managed to destroy four hearts in a single moment." Kakuzu outwardly seemed calm and composed but his chakra screamed of shock and anxiety, not to mention, he had gurgled on his own blood while speaking. "However, you do not have a bounty worth collecting, so I will allow you to stay alive if you leave now."

He then doubled over, clutching his waist, heaving out coagulated blood.

"That..." Arashi deadpanned, "was the most pathetic and unconvincing declaration I've ever seen or heard in both of my lives."

"You imbec- _urghk,_ imbe.. imbecile!" Kakuzu growled 'intimidatingly'. "I've years of experience over such an amateur as yourself. I had once battled the Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama!"

And as if he was trying to make a point, he blew a torrent of fire at him. _"_ Katon: Zukokku."

Arashi tugged at his chakra, moulding it into water before-

_'Su_ _iton: Suijinheki'_

A vast gathering of water moved to form a wall, the fire clashed against the liquid, steam exploding into their surroundings. Arashi sent out his chakra to latch onto the water molecules, mimicking Zabuza's well known Kirigakure Jutsu. He could feel every twitch of Kakuzu's muscles as he limped towards Arashi, fist raised.

He directed his chakra into wind, slamming against Kakuzu and waiting for him to stumble before pushing a violent scythe of wind at his feet. The Nuke-Nin fell and Arashi immediately threw a senbon at his prostrated figure, watching as he barely deflected it with his hitai-ate.

A Kage Bunshin latched his chakra onto the senbon and substituted itself. Earth enclosed around his fist and then-

"E _urgh_ -"

'Doton: Kengan no Jutsu.'

The fifth mask splintered and cracked.

The Kage Bunshin looked at Kakuzu, stunned. Similarly, Arashi stared at the lifeless body in front of him for about half a minute, an expression of scepticism still clear on his face. For a second he contemplated on entering Sage mode in case Kakuzu had somehow managed to escape or bring out another heart. 

'It was that... quick?'

 **"That was horribly anti-climatic... where's the famed last words? The sudden realisation that you were an unstoppable force of nature? Or that they never stood a chance? You didn't even need to use your Bunshin. Burn the body just in case."** Kurama snorted. **"I bet because of whatever it was called- from the power of pride or will, he'll stand back up again."**

'It's called the Power of Friendship, you dumb fox. Assholes generally don't have that.' Arashi furrowed his brows, 'And besides, burning the body is how Konoha formally does it, I'm not planning on treating that _scum_ with that kind of respect.'

**"Then how else are you going to dispose of the body?"**

'Like uh... Sabaku Tensei, Sabaku Soso?'

**"Feeling gory? Can you even use Shikaku's chakra? He had already been... absorbed by Kaguya."**

They both ignored each other's wince.

'Sunaton should just be Fuuton and Doton mixed together. Can't be that hard: I've mixed elements before.'

A Bunshin headed over to the body and focuses on creating a clump of Doton chakra, Arashi walks over and pushes Fuuton chakra in the clump. He winced at the grating noises as the two elements grinded together. 

With a quick wave of his hand, the chakra dispersed and his Bunshin dispelled.

'My _ears!_ Holy- that sounded worse than Rasenshuriken!'

**"Just burn the body. Call out your inner pyromaniac."**

'I don't _have_ an inner pyromaniac.'

**" _I'm_ sealed inside of you."**

'Dumb fox, I'm not going to let you Bijuudama it. I'm going to do it Firecracker's way.'

He gathered chakra into storage seal that's marked in the crook of his elbow and ten enhanced explosive tags drop into his hand.

'How many? Five? For each life? Or three for how many tries it took to destroy his lives?'

**"Are those your enhanced ones? Brat, a single one of them is far more than enough, don't waste it on a dead body."**

'Ok then, only three it is.'

He leaped away, bracing himself before sending chakra into the tags until they were rigid, throwing them like playing cards at his body.

"Katsu." He monotonously said for good measure, raising an arm to block his face from the eruption of smoke.

'Saying Jutsu and attacks aloud is weird,' Arashi wrinkled his nose at Kurama. 'Do you know why I used to scream Kage Bunshin no Jutsu every time?'

**"Don't ask me that, brat, I never did understand little mortals with their little brains, much less a moron like you and _your_ brains- or lack thereof."**

* * *

"Hey Boss!" A Kage Bunshin, doused in a disturbing amount of blood, waved in greeting, half a head of Hidan swinging in his hands by his hair. "Hidan's dead!" Arashi instinctively dodged and a splatter of blood spilt across the ground where he had been standing.

"Bah-ter'g!" Hidan's head was cleanly cut down vertically in the middle. "Ngah geh'g!"

The second Kage Bunshin recoiled from his... half-head. "Did you have to be so gruesome? You could've just taken an arm or something."

"I'm you, you're me." Arashi's Bunshin replied dryly, "you probably have a buried grudge against him or something. Besides, it would've been his entire head if he hadn't been talking so much."

"The rest of him is in bits of bloody pieces, on account of spammed Katon Jutsus and ex- _plosion_ tags." A third Arashi Bunshin walks in, grinning foxily, the corners of his clothes and the tips of his hair singed. All the Arashis blanched at the streak of soot across his face.

 **"See that,"** Kurama nodded approvingly, **"your inner pyromaniac."**

"I see..." Arashi nodded back weakly before his eyes widened, "oh no, I blew up Kakuzu without getting evidence, how do I get my well-deserved bag of ryo now?"

"Here boss," _another_ Bunshin Shunshin-ed next to Arashi, dumping a severed arm into his hands. "I got it while you and Kurama were talking. I cauterised the wound already so you won't get blood everywhere like that psycho." He nodded to the first Arashi Bunshin, still swinging Hidan's head, who growled back. 

"Hypocrite." He muttered, "...literally."

"Now, now..." The second Kage Bunshin put his hands up in a placating manner. "Let's not argue between ourselves... literally."

Arashi, the original one, smiled humourlessly, "why do I feel like my own Bunshin are outdoing me?"

Three of them shrug before dispelling themselves. An influx of memories intruded his mind.

Huh. Hidan wasn't all that powerful. He hadn't even scratched a single Bunshin.

The first Bunshin that was splattered in blood held Hidan up to him like a gift. 

Arashi pinched his lips together, "uh-uh, you hold it."

"Urgn nngah ang ikt, ark-haul!"

* * *

**"What... exactly are you doing?"**

(After Arashi, had received their bounties, he had given most of Hidan's bounty to Yugakure. But for Kakuzu... he remembers his boast about surviving a fight with Hashirama, then Arashi recalled the two stripes on his arm, indicating his stay in prison. Kakuzu had bragged that he'd killed the four Taki Elders and used their hearts to survive.

And Fuu... she had told him in the mindscape from Before that they had _celebrated_ her capture. If it wasn't for the fact that she said she had a precious person- Shibuki, was it? Then Arashi would've stormed Taki.

'Takigakure,' Arashi had decided, 'is not getting any donations.' And so, Arashi had made his way to Iwa to give off a bit of Kakuzu's bounty.)

_'For the collateral damage.'_ Arashi placed the note on top of the small bag full of ryo. 'What the note says, Kurama. If Iwa puts a bounty on my head for destroying their...' he looks around at the landscape, '...rocks, then it'll be bad.'

**"I'm not going to reply to that... to Ame now?"**

'Eh... I'll first check up on Firecracker, I really should've sent a Bunshin with him before.'

**"You are literally running all over the place."**

'When I get there I'll leave a Hiraishin marker in Kiri.' Arashi scratched his cheek. 'Should I befriend Mei so that Kiri won't kill me on sight after I defeat Kisame?'

**"Oh yeah, their thing about pride with the swords and stuff. Might as well then, just don't befriend every country's Kage. That'll be a big political mess."**

'I-...'

**"Please tell me you aren't actually going to do that."**

'Maybe, maybe not.' Arashi shrugged his shoulders, and activates his Hiraishin to Yugakure.

* * *

"Hey Firecra- wo _ah._ " Arashi ducks under a detonating ladybug and whirls to face Deidara. "Do you always do that?"

"Sorry Kazama-danna, I was being careful of enemies. These Kiri people are so sus of everything hm. I am worried I might get attacked in my sleep hm." Deidara held up a small clump of clay. "Look, this is my prototype for C4 mm."

"Uh, how is it different from your C1?" He remembers Sasuke telling him that C4 was a sculpture of Deidara himself, not a little... blob. 

"Mmhmhm-hmmm, this is my _ultimate_ art, it can counter anything- explosions to the _cellular level!"_ Deidara throws his arms up and cackles, his 'evil' laughter being offset by his high-pitched, childish voice.

Arashi distantly remembers Deidara's other self, with the boasting and the mocking- the assurance that his art is absolute- yeah? Nah. Arashi is slightly worried for his ego and its development, so-

"It's possible to counter though." 

Deidara chokes on his laughter before adopting a severe expression, "Tell me, danna."

Arashi smiles a secretive smile. "No."

After many colourful curses and creative ways to damn him, Deidara pants from his rant before collecting himself.

"Where are we going now, hm?"

"Kusagakure."

"Kusa- Oh I am _not_ going on going on your Hiraishin trip, I would rather _walk,_ hm hm hm!"

"Not even if I might blow up some pigsties depending on my mood?" 

"...Fine. Hm."

"Wait pigsties?"

"Breeding ground for vermin. Primary habitat for ratbags."

* * *

Deidara leans his hand on a large slab of rock, leaning over as if expecting to vomit when...

"Hey that wasn't that bad hm." Deidara straightens up before drunkenly falling over, vertigo slamming into him like a cargo truck and like prior, he got down to his knees and hurled up the expensive sea-food lunch he had eaten in Kiri.

"It's just the first few times." Arashi ducks his head a bit sheepishly, "you'll eventually get used to it."

Arashi finishes carving a Hiraishin mark on the borders of Kusa. 

**"How many seals have you made? You have them all over the countries."**

'A few,' he nods, ignoring Kurama's scoff. 'Anyway, Karin told me Orochimaru had 'liberated' her from Kusa, she hated this place.' He frowns. 'It was attacked but Karin had escaped because of her sensing abilities. Kagura Shingan... or something.'

**"Yeah, your Uchiha recruited her because of it. Are you going to adopt her as well?"**

'As well?' Arashi squawks, 'I didn't adopt Firecracker!'

**"I didn't say anything about Deidara."**

'Hmph, but if I can, then yes. I'll try and get her and her mother out of this place.'

"Hey you!" A Kusa shinobi marched up to him, eyeing Arashi and Deidara's groaning form suspiciously. "What's your business here?"

"I'm, uh, a merchant?" Arashi once again looked down his ANBU outfit and says. "Never mind. Goodnight."

"Huh-" 

He karate chops him behind the neck, sending chakra down his nervous system like Sakura had once taught him. Arashi catches his body and silently dumps him in a large patch of grass. Heh, _Hidden in Grass._

Deidara rolls his eyes, "Danna, you're shit at lying hm."

"Your language is brash for a nine year old, Firecracker." Arashi senses another Kusa shinobi walking towards them and hisses, "put on a henge, transform into your sculptures or whatever."

Casting a henge over himself, he replaces the shinobi he had just downed as a clay beetle jumps onto his shoulder, just after he hisses, "I'm twelve hm."

"Hey Jun'ichi!" Another Kusa shinobi greets him, jogging up to Arashi before seeing the slumped form of this 'Jun'ichi' in the grass Arashi had just dumped his body in. 

"Wait a second..." The Kusa shinobi slides into a defensive position and was about to open his mouth to call for backup when Arashi chops his neck and dumps his body on top of the last one. He didn't know clay beetles could face palm but Deidara certainly had just then.

And thus, after about half of Kusa's shinobi piling up in the grass, Arashi arrived at the hospital feeling disgruntled. 

"Just how popular was Jun'ichi? So many people I had to knock out cuz I was suspicious."

"I don't know, danna." Deidara releases his henge and falls into a crouch. "I think you're just always in the epicentre of trouble, Henge or no, hm."

Pushing open the door, he walked down the isolated hallways. Chakra spreading out, senses alert.

"Okaa-san..." A broken sound floated down the rooms and Arashi paused, feeling a lick of panic flickering in the pit of his stomach, because Karin's mother couldn't possibly be...

"Deidara," He hushed, and the boy instantly looks at him, alarmed at the use of his name. "Sorry for doing this again, but could you wait here or outside?"

After a contemplative frown, he nodded, plopping down onto the cleanest patch of tiles on the floor he could find, pulling out his prototype blob of 'C4'. Deidara gave a thumbs up and Arashi returned a grateful smile.

A quiet whimper bounced across the walls, and so, Arashi cautiously made his way to the source of this anguished keening, cancelling his henge and clipping his mask to the side of his waist.

Karin, just at a young age of nine or ten, was lying over a body. A _body._

A sheet- it wasn't even white with the amount of stains on it, was thrown over a figure and an arm had dropped out showing an array of bite marks and that was _Karin's mother-_

Fury and guilt grasped at his chest in equal parts and if it wasn't for the frighteningly _tiny_ girl in front of him, he would have devastated this entire facility. How _dare they-_

When a tear-streaked face turned to face him, eyes eerily _dead_ from behind her spectacles, his anger dissipated and he drops to his knees. 

"Oh god, Karin- I am so _so_ sorry." Arashi feels more guilt well up in him from the blotchiness of her face, her puffy eye bags and her hollowed face that screams of malnutrition. He should've came _earlier._

Karin gasps at his hair, some semblance of emotion lighting up in her eyes-

"Uz- Uzumaki?"

"Uzumaki Arashi, kid." He cards a hand through his hair worriedly, ponytail already loosening and Karin's tiny figure slams into him, arms looping around his neck. Surprised, he hastily catches her, bringing arms around her small body.

"Are you really? Really Uzumaki? Are you here to help me?" 

Arashi can feel a tickle in his chakra coils, her Kagura Shingan flaring, probably to look for signs of dishonesty, and he takes a moment to commend her talent before replying with a completely honest, completely genuine-

"Yes."

She all but slumps in his arms but she doesn't weep, probably too drained without any tears left to cry, so Arashi doesn't talk, doesn't offer empty reassurances, just threads his fingers through her hair and rubs her back. 

He felt heavy. How long ago was her mother's death? If Arashi had came even a _bit_ earlier would she still be alive?

With an exhale, he heaves her onto his hip as he stands. And god, she was _light._ Karin felt so fragile, _so unhealthily thin._ And once again, he felt anger rising inside of him. 

"I know that even though I'm an Uzumaki, I'm still a stranger," Arashi starts lowly, Karin buries her head deeper into the crook of his neck and he can feel the pressure of her eyeglass frames digging into his skin, he rubs his hand between her prominent (too prominent) shoulder blades in a manner that he hopes is soothing. "And I know that you've been hurt a lot, but I'm going to take you away from this place, I'm going to- to give you the best home I can make, it's the least I can do for family... can you trust me?"

"Family?" Karin's voice was muffled, horribly quiet and horribly timid. "Are we family?" _Do_ _I have family left?_

"Of course." Arashi immediately affirms. 

"I trust you." Her voice breaks and he pretends that he doesn't feel his heart crack with it.

"Ok, I'm going to get a Bunshin to go _gently_ tell the village leader that you're going, then we'll leave and if you say the word, you'll never have to see a place like this again." He gently jostles her as another Arashi materialises and Shunshins. 

She nods and settles down reassured as he walks slowly down and out of the hospital, Deidara follows wordlessly without questioning the small girl hanging off him like a limpet. This time, Arashi doesn't bother avoiding the presences he could sense, instead taking the shortest route to the exit. There were few people in the hospital anyway, probably all healed through Karin or her mother. 

When they reach the main exit of the hospital, an influx of memories overlap in his mind.

_("Sukamu-sama."_

_Arashi's Bunshin had overheard as he slowly strolled towards the trio._

_"Gaichu, Gesu." Sukamu had acknowledged with a nod._

_"Two Chunin are fatally injured from the Courier mission. Do we use the woman?"_

_"You must not have heard yet, Gaichu. That woman had been useless for a week now, use the girl."_

_"Does it still work?" Gesu had frowned. "I had heard that a group of Jonin were injured, the girl was used, was she not?"_

_"Of course. After the woman had died, we could finally use the girl without having to deal with Kaya's threatening rambles."_

_"Is the girl functionab-?"_

_"Are you the village leader?" Arashi had called out, unwilling to listen to any more of their conversation._

_An unfamiliar voice startled the pair. It had appeared out of nowhere. Their heads had whipped around to look at the speaker._

_A young redheaded man dressed for battle had stood in front of them with his arms crossed. The half mask had betrayed his blank expression, nonchalant demeanour and seemingly innocent intentions. Surely, the two of them had thought, this man wasn't here to harm them._ _Sukamu had then frowned. He had never seen this person and there was an unrecognisable affiliation mark on him. A Nuke-Nin?_

_"Who are you?"_

_"Arashi,_ Uzumaki _Arashi," he had replied without batting an eyelash, he was sure that when he was done with them, they wouldn't dare to mention his name to reporters anyway. "So, are you or are you not Kusa's leader?"_

_"Uzumaki?" Sukamu's eyes had flashed before they flicked to Gaichu and Gesu."Yes, I'm the Kusakage." A sleazy smile had widened on his face. "How can I help you?"_

_"Kusa has a Kage? Oh, well, no matter." Arashi had drew his lips back in a grin that was neither polite nor anywhere near friendly. "I came here to inform you that Uzumaki Karin is leaving your… custody."_

_After a stunned pause, Arashi had continued. "That's... about it. I'd say have a good day but honestly, go drown in a ditch, you ignominious, pathetic excuses of a human."_

_During his statement, he hadn't at all lost his superficially good-natured smile._

_Sukamu's greedy smile had vanished, replaced by a dark, indignant expression. "How dare you! You have no ri-"_

_"Yeah ok, please shut up and let me tell Boss I've done my part before I fucking blow you up into pieces." Arashi had said evenly._

_"You can talk all cocky, demanding we give you the girl. Who do you think you are? You really think Kusa will just let you take away such a usefu-"_

_Arashi had given a jaunty wave, dispelling before he forcibly tore the man into quarters.)_

Arashi jolts out of his memories when Karin tugs at his arm and he lets the girl clamber off him. He stands a few metres away from the building, facing the source of Karin's multitudinous wounds.

"This building, hm." Deidara speaks for the first time, softly but with a hard edge, eyes flickering away from Karin's bite marks and onto the hospital. "Isn't allowed to exist anymore."

"Wait, Okaa-san..." 

"Do you want me to retrieve her?" Arashi murmurs quietly, and at a nod, he summons a Bunshin which vanishes in a blur of speed, just moments later, appearing once again with a scroll in hand. He kneels down to Karin's eye level and she shakily accepts the intricately woven, gold and black sealing scroll, the one Arashi had made specifically for the bodies of allies (he only had one and he had hoped that he never had to use it), before the Bunshin dispels himself.

Somehow, it hurts him even more when Karin doesn't even cry anymore, instead just staring distantly with a bleak expression of acceptance that was too tired for a ten year old girl.

"Is there anyone I should spare?" Arashi tries not to snarl but her mother, those untreated bite marks, that _asshole's words-_

"No, I mean yes! Uh, not r-really- but, but, don't- don't hurt everyone bec- because they- w-we-," Karin swallows a choke, "I mean, _I_ need to a-appreciate their..." After a few seconds of Karin sorting through her internal conflict, her voice then turns low and emotionless.

"No, no one. Especially not in this building."

Without any more questions, Arashi _slams_ his hand on the floor, drawing up a monstrous quantities of chakra, visualising the spiral of matrixes and kanji. The chakra was poignant and thick in the air, rumbling as it travelled in vibrations through the earth.

The symbols for his specialised, enhanced explosion tags flow out from beneath his palms and wrap up and around the hospital like enraged serpents.

They weaved and danced incessantly in a haunting glow and when the loathsome construction was fully embraced by the marks of demolition, he lifted his hands of the ground, took Deidara's shoulder and Karin's hand then turned around to face...

"You son of a bitch!" Sukamu was marching swiftly to the three but by the looks of his pallid face and his trembling Jonin bodyguards- Gaichu and Gesu, they had seen his art.

Arashi squeezed her hand when Karin visibly stiffened.

"And you! You little menace, crawling to any man that accepts devil-blooded brats like you." The man spat, "How dare you disparage our graciousness? When I get my hands on you-"

Arashi stalks forward, shoving the two children behind him protectively and the duo collided like a pair of hands clapping. He raises his fist and watches dispassionately at the two Jonin holding out their kunai in front of him in a defensive stance.

He was utterly heedless of the crowd that had started to gather around them, far away enough though, in fear of getting caught in the crossfire of the inevitably coming fight.

All in a single swift movement, Arashi lunges forward- a mere blur to untrained eyes- twists, and punches the earth just in front of Sukamu's feet.

The ground split and cratered, a cloud of dust permeated the air, rocks and clumps of dirt flying haphazardly. The 'Kusakage' had been blown away from the impact, still in a shell-shocked state. 

What a pathetic excuse of a Kage, undoubtedly a self-erected title. Arashi hadn't even used a wisp of chakra; it was powered from sheer anger alone.

"D-do you understand what you're demanding? That girl is a vital resour- that girl is a proud citizen of Kusagakure! Do you want to become the enemy of Kusa? We have allies- Konoha! Konoha is our ally! Do you think they'll let you do this to their ally?"

With each sentence, Sukamu became bolder, scrambling up from his pitiful scrawl across the floor. Arashi's face darkened, he raised a hand to obscure the ferocious look that was threatening to overcome his face.

"Ye- yeah!" Gesu squeaks. "D-do you think you can-"

He cuts off with a yelp when Arashi lowers his hand.

"Haha, you pathetic bastard!" Sukamu screeches, his voice verging on desperation and mania. "You get cowardly as soon as you know that we're allies with _Konoha._ Yeah? How do you think about that? You take that girl away from my hands and you'll make an enemy of an entire two Villages-"

Arashi draws out the mass of wrath he had kept aside and projects it towards them, killer intent saturating the air and rooting them to the spot, strangling the air out of their lungs. The two Jonin had collapsed under a few seconds, crotch darkening and mouths frothing, defenceless against the vitriol that is Arashi's rampage of fury.

Whatever citizens who hadn't already fled had turned tail and ran, terrified even without his KI focused on them.

Sukamu wasn't far behind from his lackeys, falling onto his backside and staring up at him in stark fear, his entire being quaking from the bloodthirstiness he was exuding.

Arashi just says two words.

Two words that will leave him screaming in the depth of the nights, two words that will haunt his sleep with ceaseless nightmares.

Two words that will bring whatever foundation Kusa's nin had to _ashes_.

Arashi let a tinge of Kurama's chakra bleed into him, his growl an unusual low, eyes flickering from a furious purple to a blood red, canines sharpening and glistening maliciously. 

**_"You dare."_ **

Five beats of numbing terror passed until the malevolent spell dropped. Arashi turns his back, facing Deidara and Karin. His killer intent fades away, gone as quickly as it came.

He guides the two awe struck children away from the three Kusa scum, quickly ushering them away from the hospital building.

He senses the pathetic man scrambling to his feet, legs still shaking violently.

"I-I- I'll have a good time w- watching you rot away in p- pri- prison, r- r- return the girl at once and I'll spare y-"

Arashi pauses and the vermin flinches so violently that he didn't even need to turn to see it.

"You underestimate me." He says lowly, arms dropping to his sides, "Be it a tormenting scumbag, be it an entire fucking Great Shinobi Village, when someone attacks _my kids,_ I'll fucking _annihilate them._ "

He slowly raises an arm.

"And if you still _dare-" (dare to come after us, to attack us, to make an enemy of us)_ "-then try. Just don't expect no retaliation."

Arashi snaps his fingers, chakra spiking.

He didn't feel an ounce of repentance as the building erupts in fire and debris from behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg i was planning to have karin next chapter but eh 
> 
> rn i am sooooo drained of inspiration lmaoooooooo cuz i didn't know how to get karin outta there w/o her mother but then i realised i majorly fucked up the timeline cuz karin looked pretty darn young when her mother died so...????
> 
> btw sorry if i have tons of grammar or spelling mistakes, i rewrote tonnnnnnnnssssssss of parts and im so sick of reading my writing over and over again lolll
> 
> hope it was a decent chapter,  
> leave a comment or a kudo  
> :D


	10. karin feels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> karin is an uzumaki. (there's a lot more to it.)  
> her okaa-san is dead. (but finally passed on.)
> 
> deidara's weird (urgh, that almost sounded fond in her head.)
> 
> and arashi-san's...
> 
> \----------  
> also enter: itachi, kisame and sasori

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yep story pacing just left the chat
> 
> i used to post everyday cuz i had no life and, oh dont get me wrong, i still dont have a life but now i have homework to do so haha i might go weekly or whatever updates.
> 
> hope this is a semi good read

The fights along the border had gotten more aggressive and when dozens of shinobi pour into the hospital- she could sense it, with her Kagura Shingan (her okaa-san tells her that she mustn't tell anyone she has that ability), she got scared.

Reallyyyy scared. Because usually at this time, her okaa-san would walk out with that tired expression on her face. This time, a Med-Nin had dragged her out. 

'What?' She had thought, 'why?' Because her okaa-san would never let her be used, never let her be bitten or injured.

That was when they had passed that room.

A body, covered by a sheet that was spoilt with what must be mould and urine, was hidden from the eyebrows down to the ankles. But the _hair,_ they couldn't hide the hair that was more cardinal pink than her own orangey-red. It was dishevelled across the bed or table or _whateveritwas because her okaa-san-_

She had activated her Kagura Shingan, latching onto the figure, though even without her ability, she could _always_ sense her okaa-san's vast chakra. She had strained her senses even though it was _obvious_ she was dead until-

A wisp.

There was a wisp of chakra, a signal of life even if it was barely there. Vitality was always a strong point in Uzumakis, her okaa-san had told her so,

"W-wait, okaa-san can still- let me go, _let me go-"_

Her okaa-san dies. 

_'Useless,' the man had spat, 'so quickly drained of chakra. Her life has been worn over, what's the point of healing her if she can't be any use to us anymore?'_

_'That's not how our healing abilities work!' Karin had wanted to grab his hair and yell. 'Okaa-san can still heal you if you just help her right now!'_

But they wouldn't have listened. They never do.

(But a part of her was relieved that her okaa-san didn't need to get tortured everyday anymore. Had she died, or had she been set free? Was Karin the only reason why her okaa-san was that injured? If her okaa-san was alone would she have ~~killed herself?~~ escaped?)

She gets her first scar. _First_ is actually to put it lightly. A litter of ugly bite marks trailed up and down her limbs, across her small body and it was just a few _minutes after her okaa-san's death_ and she was already chakra exhausted.

Her okaa-san had died when there was a violent retaliation in the Kusa borders, that's what the ~~Kusakage~~ man tells the citizens. The civilians had all insinuated that she had died fighting valiantly against enemies.

In a way, it was true, she was drained of chakra after countless shinobi had used her for her healing. Her okaa-san had fought very valiantly, but in the end, she _did_ die fighting her enemies- the Kusa-Nin.

Karin had never wanted to punch someone so much. 

Obviously, because she could do nothing more than let people suck chakra out of her like leeches, she couldn't. She was ten. She was weak. And now that her okaa-san had left, she couldn't even cry to anyone anymore. 

A week. An _entire_ week, shinobi after shinobi poured in. They only stopped to feed Karin some Soldier Pills before her chakra was being pulled out of her body. She was tired and drained and they just _kept coming-_

And when finally, the attack had stopped, she was allowed free time. (Free time as in she wasn't getting bitten.) The first time she was _finally_ allowed to visit her okaa-san ~~'s body,~~ she hadn't felt at all surprised that her body was now a mere, hollowed out vessel. She wasn't her okaa-san without her enormous, warm chakra, she wasn't her okaa-san without her _chakra._

So it was inevitable that she nearly gets a heart attack at the sudden exposure to a chakra signature just like her okaa-san's, just like _Karin's._

"Oh god, Karin- I am so _so_ sorry." 

She has no idea who this man was to have known her name but that _hair- that chakra_ was undeniable. 

"Uz- Uzumaki?"

"Uzumaki Arashi, kid." 

"Are you really? Really Uzumaki? Are you here to help me?" Karin had activated her Kagura Shingan, only fools would let hope ignite so quickly. She scoured each and every one of his chakra coils for malicious intent. She finds nothing. Only chakra that's boundless like the sea her okaa-san had described, chakra that was warm like her okaa-san's hugs and loving, so _loving_ for him to be any less than a true Uzumaki.

"Yes."

She all but _sinks_ into his embrace.

* * *

Karin and the other boy had watched in no little astonishment at the lines of pure chakra running up, down and around the building. She had felt her jaw unhinge and she was unashamed, no matter how 'unladylike' it was. Karin wonders who taught Arashi Fuuinjutsu and distantly reminds herself to build a shrine for him or her.

And when ~~Kusakage~~ that man had said a few of the mean words he always called her, it felt like something in Arashi had snapped.

His impatience and anger was like an enormous bucket and with every passing moment, the bucket had filled up.

_'And you! You little menace, crawling to any man that accepts devil-blooded brats like you." The man spat, "How dare you disparage our graciousness? When I get my hands on you-'_

Then in that instance, the bucket had been doused with a heavy rainfall of viciousness as it spilt, the downpour of vengeance crashing over the three men in waves. Karin could _feel_ it. 

For a moment, she had regaled herself with the fact that those three men were so _stupid_ that they couldn't even tell that they were about to be _destroyed._

She had watched as he blurred forward, and without her natural sensing abilities, she actually never would've tracked his movements, and slammed his fist onto the ground in font of the man.

Karin winced slightly because-

"He didn't use any chakra to power _or_ protect his fist!" Karin hissed to the boy and he, to her utter confusion, deadpanned. 

"Kazama-danna is a monster hm." The boy had whispered back. "For a second I was wondering why his punch had been so weak."

Karin opened her mouth, then clicked it shut, deciding to ignore that.

_The flames had shot up into the sky, the smoke- a lurking shadow above them, bringing forth a rain of debris and ash._

_Arashi had been a dark silhouette against the dangerous glowing background, his aura- oppressive, malicious and fiercely protective, though somehow, Karin_ knows _that he had restrained himself._

 _'Scary...' Karin had felt. But she wasn't scared_ of _him, even though his chakra spoke of bloodthirst and malevolent contempt, it wasn't fuelled from blind-sighted hatred. She remembers his hug, so warm even through his stiff-ish grey armour, his true grief for her mother who he hadn't even met and Karin_ believes in him.

* * *

They fly away on a big clay bird that the boy, now introduced as Deidara, spits out. With his hands.

"That's kinda weird." She says aloud and maybe it was unladylike to be so tactless but anything to keep her thoughts away from the scroll she had clutched to her chest.

"Kinjutsu hm." Deidara opens his mouth and looks up from where he was fiddling with a blob as if he was going to start ranting before facing Arashi. "By the way, Kazama-danna, what's your name?"

"Uzumaki Arashi? What do you... _Ohh._ " Arashi scratches the back of his head. "Kazama Arashi is my civilian name. For when I'm... going to be a... civilian. You can call me whatever you like, I don't mind as long as it isn't 'brat', Firecracker." A vein pops up in his forehead as he smiles false saccharinely. Deidara stares at him.

"You're never going to get to your 'civilian-merchant' thing." Deidara stares even harder. "You do know that, right?"

"So, so what's your Kinjutsu for?" Karin cuts in their stare off and she feels proud of herself when Deidara turns around and beams. However, Arashi groans, muttering a 'you just had to...'

"My art hm. I'm an Iwa shinobi, or was, whatever, and I have the Bakuton Kekkei Genkai and this Kinjutsu allows me to mould my chakra into inanimate objects hm." Deidara grabs another ball of clay and his hands _eat_ it. "I infuse my Bakuton into the clay sculptures to create my magnificent _art,_ and when enemies see my art, there's _isshun no geijutsu..._ hm."

Karin leans in as Deidara pauses extravagantly, "And what's that?" She says in a hushed tone.

He solemnly opens his cupped hands, a bird flies out, similar to how magicians would let doves go.

"Geijutsu wa..." The bird blows up, a cloud of smoke billowing just a few meters to the left of them. "...bakuhatsu da!" Deidara smiles at his clay. "True art comes in explosions, hm."

"Woahhh." Karin says, "I had sensed chakra in it but I thought it was just to make it move." 

"Hm, hm, hm." Deidara nods smugly. "Of course, my creations are the ultimate ar-"

"It's not impossible to counter though." Karin remembers his 'Snake' hand seals and his Kekkei Genkai and if she had been the daughter of a lesser woman, she wouldn't have known that Raiton could counter it- Bakuton being a mixture of Doton and Katon. Karin's words, exactly the same as Arashi's, stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Tell me, hm." He asks yet again, mirth drained out of his face.

"You're really stupid, you know that right?"

"Say what?" Deidara leaps to his feet, a casual movement even though they were hundreds of metres in the air. "As your _senior,_ I request you tell me at once, hm."

"Right." She says in a dull tone. "Deidara-senpai. Seniority in intelligence or in age?"

"Age of course hm."

"You just admitted that you were dumber than me."

As the bickering continues, with the sound of Arashi face palming in the background, Karin's white-knuckled grip on the scroll had finally loosened.

* * *

"Karin, do you get motion sickness?"

"Uh, I don't know?" 

"'Cuz we're Hiraishin-ing to Uzushio now. Leave your bird here, Firecracker." Arashi places a Hiraishin seal into the clay, smiling slightly at Karin's ohhs and ahhs. "You know the S-Rank people who are Kakuzu's buddies? They're around here."

Without further ado, he grabbed both their shoulders and disappeared.

"Yeah!" Deidara jumped up before staggering slightly, "That didn't suck at all hm."

"Yeah, it made me a bit dizzy but that's all." Karin says from behind him, adjusting her glasses.

"What?" He screeches, "You're meant to vomit and get really sick, you cheated hm!"

"You're just weak." Karin pushes up her glasses with a middle finger and Deidara squawks in indignation.

"Business." Arashi snaps before he got side-tracked. "There's Uchiha Itachi, Kisame and Sasori. You can do as you please as long as if you stay away from people, I know you won't disrespect Uzushio. You can..." His eyes flick to the storage scroll that holds Karin's mother. She nods in reply, sobering from her previous humour.

"I've already left some Bunshin here so dispel them if you sense anything off."

"I'll come with you hm." Deidara shakes his fist at him. "Don't underestimate me just because I'm twelve hm! I'm still an S-Rank Nuke-Nin, I can help hm!"

Arashi worries his lip between his teeth, Kisame is no doubt stronger than him, Sasori had far more experience and the _poison._

"Are you sure? Sasori is a puppet master, he has poisons, hidden blades and tons of trickery." Arashi stares at Deidara for even a slight disturbance in the determination of his eyes.

"Fine." Arashi bites out after a few beats, the fire in his eyes unwavering. But Arashi wasn't a Med-Nin and he couldn't do anything to help him if he gets poisoned. "But Karin, _you_ have to stay here. I don't care if you've seen bloodshed, I don't care if you have amazing Uzumaki Kekkei Genkais. You. Must. Stay. Here."

"Of course," Karin adjusts her glasses. "I'm only strong in other aspects of fighting anyway. I also would prefer to... I would prefer to send off okaa-san alone."

After a solemn silence-

"By the way Deidara, your only weakness I can see so far is your Nature Affinity." Karin pushes her glasses up again, the grief on her face had been visibly pushed away.

"My what- Bakuton hm? How is that weak?"

"Doton based. You can neutralise it with Raiton, that's why you shouldn't make your hand seals obvious." Arashi bites his lip dejectedly. "I would've told you earlier if I knew you'd be fighting these people."

"Well then hurry along," Karin says, playfully shoving the two of them away. The look in her eyes, though, is anything but casual.

"Godspeed."

* * *

"Ok, so Sasori is actually inside of the puppet and his _actual body_ is also a puppet. Are you listening? There is a core in him, big, fat and literally says 'core'. You need to destroy that. Understand? Yes? He should be around his 30s- don't get fooled by how young he looks, and he has the Sandaime Kazekage as a puppet and can use his Iron Sand Kekkei Genkai. Oh and that also has poison in it. Do you hear me? Understand?"

"Danna, how do you even know thi-"

"Don't flaunt your art and don't give away what it does. Make sure you keep your element of surprise. Be sneaky _just this once_ because Sasori has years of experience and practice over you. I'll leave a few Bunshin for you and use them to your advantage if you're in tight spot- don't give me that look, you're a _kid._ Umm, make sure you don't draw him too far away... And make sure you don't touch his poison! Sunagakure is known for their poisons and I'm not skilled enough to make or find an antidote. Deidara. Do. You. Understand?"

"Y-yes hm." Deidara sneaks a glance at his searing glare and immediately looks away. "C-can we go now?" He nearly whines, sounding like a pouting kid.

"Fine." Arashi grits out. Because Deidara is, like, _ten years old._ He felt like shit for letting a baby like him go off to fight S-Ranks.

* * *

"Deidara. So you have come to us first." Itachi murmurs, his voice somehow not at all muffled by the high collar of his cloak.

"We were just going to recruit you." Kisame grins, shark teeth and all.

"Then come and recruit me hm!" Deidara runs off and the three Akatsuki members jerk as if not expecting him to just run off. In the single second of distraction, Arashi summoned few Bunshin to shadow him. The three Nuke-Nin moved to follow him but he quickly intercepted Itachi and Kisame, acting as if he didn't have the ability to stop Sasori too.

"You know he's just twelve right? He's still a chibi brat." 

"Hmph," Kisame replies haughtily. "Only amateurs and visionaries still believe that children can't be shinobi... Unless you're his mum."

"That is right." Itachi then says gloomily. "That boy is already an S-Rank Nuke-Nin."

Arashi purposefully looks into Itachi's three tomoe-d Sharingan eyes then instantly dispelled the Genjutsu he had layered on. 

"Fast reflex. So not an amateur then," Kisame whistles. "A visionary?"

Arashi looks once again at Itachi's Sharingan, waiting for his Tsukuyomi to activate. The awkward stare off happens for a few seconds before Arashi directly attacks them.

Throwing an exploding kunai at them before slipping through the haze of the smoke. He summoned a Bunshin, pouring a third of his chakra- which was a _lot,_ mind you, into it. The Bunshin shoots off in a red blur to confront Itachi.

Arashi, himself, engaged Kisame in a Taijutsu match, eyeing his Samehada cautiously. Kisame was strong. According to Gai, he could match him at 30% power even though he had opened his Sixth Gate. Octopops had told him that he only barely managed to defeat Kisame, only due to Samehada's capriciousness.

Dodging a stray shuriken from Itachi, he gathered as much chakra as he dared into his right arm, reverse punching Kisame. The man flew across the Hashirama trees. Arashi winced at the loudness of his fall. He was really regretting the decision to cut over the Fire Border to get to Uzushio. If Konoha was alerted and their forces came...

Kisame centred himself, still airborne, he fired Suiton Jutsu after Suiton Jutsu, and every single time, he had to fight back a grimace at the destruction it was causing.

Quickly realising that a match off of brute strength wouldn't work, Arashi shunshins forward and focuses his Taijutsu into the fluidity of the Gentle Fist style, aiming to nullify Kisame's arms. He tsked when he missed a quarter of the Tenketsu points, Gentle Fist style was a Hyuuga style for a reason. Interweaving between Kyusho Jitsu- targetting pressure points, and the Hyuuga fist, Kisame's arms were soon out of play. 

All the shinobi on the battle field leap away from each other when Itachi comes flying towards them, analysing the battle condition. It had only been a few minutes of fighting yet the surroundings were unrecognisable. Arashi took a fraction of a second to thank Itachi for not using Katon Jutsus.

"You're the one who defeated Hidan and Kakuzu." Itachi pants lightly, realisation coming into his eyes. "Single-handedly."

Arashi _once again_ looked into Itachi's eyes and not missing the chance, his Sharingan spun into Mangekyo. 

He recognised the Tsukuyomi at once. 

_"What is your purpose?"_ Itachi's voice was echoing eerily and it lacked an exact source. _"Trying to get yourself into a Genjutsu, in_ my _eyes too_. _Even Genin know that you never look at an Uchiha in the eyes."_

"Technically," Arashi grimaced, "I'm not even a Genin. I'm a humble and poor-ish civilian-merchant... but I'm currently hunting down asshole-Nuke-Nin in the name of exacting justice."

He then shrugged as if saying: 'don't mind me, just casually killing off some S-Ranks.'

_"...W-what is your purpose?"_ Itachi repeats a little more confusedly.

"To tell you-"

**"Brat."**

Kurama's voice reverberated across the colourless field of Itachi's Tsukuyomi and Arashi could feel the Uchiha grow shocked. **"What are you doing, willingly staying in an Uchiha scum's Genjutsu?"**

 _"This is..._ the Kyuubi's chakra?" A murder of crows gather in front of Arashi, forming into the stunned figure of Itachi. His voice was no longer eerie or haunting, just filled with complete and utter bafflement. "Explain." Itachi demands and Arashi could feel his visual prowess tug viciously at his mind, he thinks that if he was a lesser shinobi, his brains might've been spilt out.

"Kurama!" Arashi yells instead of responding. "You just had to ruin everything! Now what? Do I tell him that I travelled?"

**"Kill him."**

"What? NO! He's innocent! I don't want chibi Sasuke to find out about the mission then come to kill me in name of avenging Itachi!"

**"Look now! You gave away too much information, now you'll have to kill him. Destroy the evidence."**

"You're worse than Tobirama in this Uchiha discrimination thing." Arashi folds his arms and stares judgementally at a random rock, pretending that it's Kurama. "Admit it, you just want to eat him."

**"Hmph, who would want to go anywhere near that accursed bloodline. Their foolery with eyeballs is absolutely repulsive."**

"You say that like Itachi had played part in the Tsuki no Me-"

Feeling out of place, Itachi uses every cell of his cool-Uchiha-being to not let his jaw unhinge in surprise, "That's from the Uchiha Stone Tablet. How- h-hey-"

"-At least _he_ doesn't care for plucking out eyeballs like Danzo." Arashi throws his hands up. "Like honestly, poor Shisui's eyeball, having to reside in that filthy old man's eye socket. I bet he hadn't moved on in peace." 

**"Arashi."**

"Besides, you talk talk talk so much about hating Uchihas but in the end it was _only_ Madara manipulating Obito to... do the... thing he did... on that day... What?"

**"You just gave away too much information, you _idiot!"_**

"Well, we were planning on telling him anyway! Because of _you_ I might add!"

**"What 'we', huh? I suggest we do the world a favour and get rid of the Curse of Hatred-"**

" _Itachi_ does _not_ have the Curse of Hatred, what do you even know abo-"

"Um-"

Arashi stops and turns to face Itachi. His mouth was open but at Arashi's stare, he snaps it back shut.

Itachi doesn't gape or gawk but the astonishment is so clear in his eyes that Arashi wonders how he ever thought that this _kid_ was emotionless. "A-Arashi, was it? First of all, how did you get access to- actually, I'm not going to start. Can you explain... please?"

Uchiha Itachi, the S-Rank Nuke-Nin, prodigy and slaughterer of one of the founding clans of Konoha, was listening to two people- sorry, one person and one _mythical chakra beast,_ arguing about whether or not to kill him... in his _own_ Dojutsu mindscape.

"Look at your mess, Kurama. Get your tails into this Tsukuyomi at once!"

**"Hmph, what a cocky little meat snack, demanding the Kyuubi no Youko to get into a lowly _Uchiha's_ mindscape."**

Nevertheless, a smaller version of Kurama, about the size of a horse, materialises beside Arashi. 

"What do I do? Do I tell him I time travelled?" Arashi whispers to Kurama before realising- "Shit." He turns to face Itachi. "You heard that didn't you." It wasn't a question but a statement. Kurama grumbled in aggravation,

**"Who's mess is it now? I'm taking a nap."**

"Kurama, you traitor!" Arashi nearly howls when Kurama fades away, waving, dare he suggest, jauntily.

"...Time travel... and what makes you think that-"

"Anyway, Itachi," Arashi took a deep breath, planning on word-vomiting it in one go.

"I travelled fifteen years into the past, the world had turned into a clusterfuck. Obito- the mask dude, had turned into the Ten Tails Jinchuuriki and used his Rinnegan to revive Madara. Black Zetsu was the mastermind and did whatever something, I don't know, to revive a chakra goddess, Otsutsuki Kaguya, the mother of the Sage of Six Paths and- You died. Sasuke got Eternal Mangekyo and then he killed Danzo and then wanted to destroy Konoha in a fit of insanity. After a few assholes masterminded an army of Edo-Tensei-d Kages-" 

He clears his throat. "Ok fuck, I am not talking about the details of the Fourth Great Shinobi War other than the fact that all the Five Great Nations were allied and fighting against legends and deities. _L_ _aterrr,_ because everything was _not fine,_ that basta- he," Arashi coughed again, swallowing the massive lump that all of a sudden appeared in his throat. "Sasuke, he... seal, he- I... I time travelled, I guess." He finishes lamely.

"...Eurk?"

"I'm going to destroy the Akatsuki so don't get in my way." Arashi said evenly in response to Itachi's intelligent reply. "If I hurt you, both Sasukes would hate me and I would hate myself too- for killing a little baby chibi kid like you." And with that, he beckoned to Kurama, who, in reply, dispelled the Tsukuyomi.

When he blinks, he sees Kisame who is warily looking back. When he shifts Samehada, Arashi raises his arm to grip his chokuto, he didn't think he'd need to use it but-

Kisame is then promptly set on fire. Arashi looks blankly at the black fire that is devouring the screaming fish before turning to the fifteen year old who looks back just as blankly, one eye dripping with blood.

Arashi raises a finger and opens his mouth, then drops it, jaw snapping shut.

**"Please tell me you aren't going to adopt that Uchiha."**

* * *

Deidara looks at the dozens of puppets floating in the air and doesn't know whether his heart is pounding in excitement or fear. Because danna is a bit of a worrywart, the 'few' Kage Bunshins turned out to be around thirty. As he sends some discreet explosives over to Sasori's real body, he casts some Katon Jutsu to burn the floating puppets and also give his opponent the wrong impression of his Primary Nature Affinity.

Strategy 101. He gives himself a mental pat on the back.

Puppets were strewn across the clearing- well, it wasn't a clearing before, but now it was, with the amount of explosions going about. Needles, senbon and dozens of various other weapons were sticking up from the scorched earth, as numerous as blades of grass.

Danna was right. Not flaunting art was even more glorious when they realise what it was in their final breaths. He imagines what it'd be like for them, to breathe their dying breath in a face full of Deidara's ultimate art and they might say something like: 'If this was Deidara's art all along, I never stood a chance...'

Deidara was covered in scrapes and bruises, and he knew he had only survived so far with danna's Bunshin acting as meat shields. Majority of his wounds were from dodging and not from actually getting hit. Sasori looked about as good as new albeit with a little bit of dust and ash on him, even though he had let Deidara attack him a few times out of respect for his power.

Deidara likes to think that Sasori was running out of weapons but he knows that, condition wise, he was completely trumped.

His chakra levels were so low, he was verging on exhaustion but his enemies didn't _need_ to be injured or in a worse condition to fall prey to his ultimate-

"C4 Karura." 

His hands ached and he swears he tore at least five muscles, all of that and his own mouth still works. That was enough. Deidara grimaces slightly at the grainy and artificial taste of his clay, but despite the fact that it tasted like rocks, it was the art that was going to destroy his opponent.

His C4 explodes with a bang and Sasori's body exploded into pieces. Danna had told him that he could still piece himself together so he waited until that weird wormy cylinder dragged itself back to it's body before activating the cellular level explosions.

It was so satisfying to watch, the weird wiggly thingy _just_ getting back into it's body, only to watch itself start to disintegrate. When the cylinder 'core' completely fragmented, the puppets all flopped and clanked dully against the earth, lifeless like they were meant to be, and Deidara lowers his guard.

Obviously, whenever a shinobi lowers their guard, they get hit.

When _two_ Bunshins dispel behind him, grunting in pain, Deidara snaps around, arms automatically coming up to defend his vitals. But the Sandaime Kazekage puppet hadn't been aiming for a vital. Afterall, just a nick was enough to poison the victim.

A spear of Iron Sand pierced Deidara's forearm, only strong enough to _just_ draw a bit of blood, before the metallic grey sand scattered like dust in the breeze. The puppet turning lifeless after it's final command had been fulfilled.

Though he was dead, the last of Sasori's power had done its job. 

(He stares, shocked, at the small puncture on his arm and wonders whether or not he'll _die_ because of this measly wound. He doesn't register a Bunshin flickering over to the puppet, and smashing it into pieces. He might _die._ )

* * *

Arashi finishes sealing Kisame's corpse and holds the scroll awkwardly, turning to face Itachi and opening his mouth to say anything to get rid of the stifling tension. But when one- _two_ Bunshins dispel, all that comes out of his mouth is a gritted:

"Shit."

He shunshins as quickly as he could to where Deidara's chakra signature was, not bothering to see if Itachi would follow. With a flick of his hands, he dismisses the rest of the Bunshin and soon, their memories return to him too. He stores away the information from the fight for later, because-

"Shit, shit, _shit."_ He boosts off the floor and up into the trees, whichever ones left intact, the bark splintered and branches snapped off with each burst of his chakra. He didn't care for his fluctuating chakra levels, he didn't care that his KI was scaring away whatever wildlife had come to explore.

Panic rolled off his body, his fight or flight instinct rocketing and if an enemy Nin had thought that his hysterical agitation was an opening, they were dead wrong. Right now, if anyone showed him hostile intent, he'd kill them.

Stupid Deidara. Fucking Sasori. _Fuck._

It was in times like this that he wished he had tattooed a Hiraishin mark on himself. You know what? He was going to do that first thing, right after he finds a way to heal Deidara, hit him for it, then hug him for it. Because, _damn it,_ he _couldn't_ die. Not when Arashi'd already lost everyone, not when he was now _strong enough to protect him._

When he reaches the clearing only about ten seconds later, leaving a trail of broken trees in his path, Arashi immediately heads for Deidara.

"Deidara, Firecracker, you brat-little-shit, how are you feeling?" The words are brimmed full with worry and for a second he wonders whether he had said them too fast for Deidara to understand.

"Huh, oh completely fine hm. What about it, danna? It probably wasn't poisoned, I cleaned the blood and I don't feel that dizzy or nothing hm." Deidara stands up, dusting his legs. "Don't worry about it."

And with those words, all the tension left his body and Arashi nearly _slumped_ onto the floor in relief, he drags a hand across his face, fiercely telling himself to _breathe_. It felt like whatever had squeezed his heart all of a sudden let go. "Of course I'll worry, stupid _stupid_ brat. I swear, you gave me a heart attack. Maybe you got lucky. The rest of your injuries shouldn't be all that bad. Let's-"

But when Arashi looked to face Deidara again, his face drained of colour.

The boy looked dead on his feet, his face was steadily turning into a sickening shade of white and a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he passes out without another word.

Arashi reflexively catches his slumped body and spends about five seconds processing his thoughts. All the anxiety, worry, anger and fear that had just left his body came slamming back into him.

Arashi should've known better. Chalking things up to luck never worked well for anyone.

He grabs Itachi's shoulder, who had arrived roughly twenty seconds after he did, and makes sure that he was carrying Kisame's storage scroll before activating his Hiraishin, teleporting the three of them to Uzushio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im kind of eh abt how i did this, theres a very high possibility that i'll redo this chapter when i have more inspo lmao. im pretty sure i was fairly unrealistic in the fights but then again kishimoto's power scaling was, to put it lightly, catastrophically bullshit. so if u think somethings op, think of how sasuke and naruto basically got god powerups until they fought kaguya.  
> then somehow kaguya was an underling so sasuke and naruto fought an otsutsuki who wasn't an underling-  
> like what.
> 
> anyway leave a kudo ! 
> 
> see you :D
> 
> EEDDDDDDITTTTTTTTTTTTT: ok people, so i added a new part into the first chapter go check it out :D


	11. (seven years ago) the light and the shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'The Ōtsutsuki Clan (大筒木一族, Ōtsutsuki Ichizoku) is an ancient clan of horned celestial beings (天津人, amatsubito).'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok lol i just love writing these flashbacks every time theres a mini cliffhanger :D  
> btw these (six/seven years ago) chapters will always be super short xp

"Genin, escort the civilians and invalid shinobi. Chunin, Jonin, prepare for battle." Kakashi barked over the hustle. "Naruto, Sasuke." He looks at them, his black eyes giving silent commands.

_Get Sakura. Get the rest of the Konoha 11. Mobilise._

_Parabellum._

Naruto nodded, latching onto Sasuke's elbow, and activated his Hiraishin. Sakura screeched when two presences had appeared behind her, whipping out her fist-

"Naruto! Sasuke! You're perfectly on time, do you know why lots of people have been on edge-" She halted in her speech. "Oh no... Please, _please_ tell me that it isn't..." Sakura gripped the two of them by the collar when she had seen their pale faces, twin expressions of grim horror.

"Kaguya." The two hiss at the same time.

Everyone in T&I paled, and Naruto's heart wrenched at the fact that Ino and Shikamaru were now important advisors and Clan Heads. They hadn't even had the time to mourn before they were thrust into politics and now...

"Lure her away," Shikamaru snapped. "If she came back with the God Tree destroyed, 20% chance that there's a way to revive it here, 45% chance says she's going for the Kyuubi... and-"

"And what?"

"There's a small possibility that... she's looking for vengeance." Shikamaru wavered. "Though that's unlikely, by your reports you had said that she'd-"

"100% chance that Konoha is going to get destroyed either way," Naruto darted his eyes around. "Sakura come with us, the rest of you move out, evacuate, do whatever shit you need to do. Parabellum." Without further ado, he grabbed onto Sasuke and Sakura, and Hiriashins to the closest place near Kaguya, determined prevent her inevitable rampage.

Team 7 appears in the recesses of an isolated street, long abandoned after the emergency evacuation- the civilians were getting too good at reacting to danger, it made Naruto feel angry at how many times Konoha was attacked.

A tingle of chakra appeared behind him and Naruto tenses, Sasuke and Sakura leaping away with him after seeing his reaction. A slim, pale hand gripped onto the border of space. A head of pure white appeared, for once not trailing serenely behind her, instead, encasing her body and flowing around her head like a halo of a wrathful angel.

Her Rinne-Sharingan was closed, a fortunate sign that she wasn't at full power. That sign, however, did nothing to quench the terror Team 7 felt. Naruto and Sasuke were both weakened, hindered by disabilities and usually it wouldn't be anything to anyone else in the Five Great Nations- they were just that powerful... but this was _Kaguya_.

"How could you." Kaguya's voice rang out louder this time, anger undisguised. "Hagoromo, how could you." She didn't say it like a question, rather as an accusation.

Sasuke swallowed dryly and he had to physically move his chest to make sure that he was still breathing, having disturbed oxygen levels wouldn't do well in a fight- but this didn't seem like it was going to be a fight, it seemed like an impeding annihilation.

 _"Lure her away."_ Shikamaru's strategies had never ceased to calm the three of them and they knew that even though things seemed horrible, they could get around it. Team 7 always could.

The three of them warily took a step back, preparing to lead a chase far, far away from Konoha, far, far away from the vulnerable civilians, far-

Kaguya snapped her fingers, and a multitude of spine-chilling, nightmarish screams rang out in the Lava Time-Space Dimension.

* * *

"Stand up." Kaguya demanded, rage still rolling off of her in waves, soon switching back to the real dimension, she hadn't let them leave or move. Team 7 still hadn't a chance to inquire of the citizens and their state.

Naruto had been beaten up so harshly that with each bruise healed, he had received another three- Kurama already drained of chakra.

Sasuke was no better off, covered in injuries from Ninjutsu of all elements, the only thing that would prevent him from having a whole body full of scorch marks was Sakura, who was healing him, already resorting to the life draining Byakugo.

She was shaken, though. Sakura wasn't the best Kunoichi in name only, she had the smarts, the strategy and the calm. 

Neither Naruto nor Sasuke knew what she saw in the Tsukuyomi Kaguya had put her through but it must've been horrible. So horrible that it made, Sakura- the stubborn, outgoing _Sakura,_ who punched through concrete like it was pudding and _Sakura_ who didn't treat Naruto or Sasuke like they were gods worthy of worshipping... It made Sakura's arms tremble, her entire body quaking so badly that it took her five tries to stand back up. 

_"My girlfriend literally runs the fucking T &I, cha. Don't underestimate me, that measly Genjutsu did no shit." She had said, face pasty and teeth chattering, but her eyes were still burning viciously and god, Naruto loves her badassery so much._

_And by the proud gleam in Sasuke's eyes and his reply of "hn" he felt exactly the same._

Naruto- Taijutsu. Sasuke- Ninjutsu. Sakura- Genjutsu. It pissed the three of them off that they were being treated like how Kakashi once had.

They were the motherfucking Team 7. 

They take no prisoners.

"Stand up." Kaguya seethed. And they did. Individually, the three of them would've looked away from her haunting white eyes but they weren't. They glared back, KI fusing and unifying, pushing back Kaguya's wrath.

They were better than the Sannin, stronger than the Kage. What was a so-called _god_ to them?

* * *

Kakashi choked, the smoke from the lava dimension had nearly killed thousands. (It killed hundreds.) 

Only with many Doton techniques, excessive amounts of chakra being pushed vigorously into the molten rocks and a few lucky Kekkei Genkais- Shikamaru's Kage-Kubishibari (Shadow Neck-Binding Jutsu) was able to save lives.

There was an omnipresent smell of burning flesh, of bile- from when others hadn't stomached the thought of people dying painfully in the lava, and of grief, because hundreds had died and the rest will die if-

The dimensions swapped out and he sighed a breath of relief. That was Kakashi's first mistake.

The rest of Konoha was- well there _was_ no 'rest'. He was completely heedless of the gasps of shock and the crying of young children because his Village... the remnants of what used to be a lively community now laid in ashes, a few burnt, bleeding bodies were strewn around, and he could tell that the ever present stench of their deteriorating bodies would never leave his nose.

Konoha... Konoha was gone and- Obito, what would he think- Rin would be disappoi- Minato-sensei- _Minato-sensei's_ Village and it's gone- it's all...

_NO, Kakashi._ He screamed at himself because now was _not_ the time to-

"Shinobi!" He snapped, because he didn't want to call 'Genin', 'Chunin' or 'Jonin (they might be all dead, they might only have a few survivors left, who was he to call them out?) "Take the survivors away, now is the time of warfare. Elites, Heads, we're going off to attack. The rest of Konoha 11 and higher rankers, keep your cool, I'm counting on you."

Kakashi shunshin-ed after determined nods were faced his way.

* * *

"Stand up." The same line was uttered every time Kaguya had eventually beaten them down. It happened every few minutes- but don't be fooled because in no way were they that badly outmatched, their parries, blocks were so swift, dozens of attacks could be thrown out in a single second yet every time, her Byakugan would activate and they would be pushed away. 

"Maa, give my adorable students a little break, won't you?" Kakashi appeared in a whirl of leaves in front of them and-

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura gasped as she spat out a glob of blood. 

"The civilians?" Naruto hissed as his knee buckled.

"There are survivors." Kakashi didn't bother to defend himself or tell them that he did his best because they _knew he did._

"Kakashi." Sasuke drawled, but the worry was stark in his voice. "Leave your hand out of this, there may be other nemeses around."

"Oh, how harsh," Kakashi waved his hand before his eye sharpened. "You wouldn't happen to know where... Zetsu is?"

_""Shit.""_

"You will not disturb my child!" Kaguya roared, somehow still sounding eloquent and noble. She shot a hand up and a shockwave leaves her arm, carving up the earth before it reached Kakashi. In a poof of smoke, the tattered remains of a branch laid on the ground. A single note of 'mokuhyo' indicating Kakashi's next target. Zetsu.

The trio grinned.

* * *

The Gokage sans Kakashi stood beside the battered Team 7, though you couldn't tell with their Wills all burning just as strongly as each other. 

"When I had heard... I couldn't believe it." Gaara snarled at Kaguya, "I don't even recognise Konoha anymore."

"I had felt something was horribly off." Kurotsuchi cocked her hips on a hand. "I didn't sign up for Kage to fight chakra goddesses." She said, contradictive to her bloodthirst that rolled off of her just as fiercely as the rest.

"How terrifying." A rumbled, Raiton flashing underneath his skin. "I would say I'm impressed but you disgust me so much." 

"That's right, she looks so slender, so beautiful and yet-" Mei flung a bright reddish lock over her shoulder. "She's so ugly deep inside."

In the next instant, sand snapped at Kaguya's feet, Gaara had sent his chakra through the ground when he had arrived, taking note of everything his Sunaton had seen. A flashes in a beam of concentrated Raiton the next millisecond, shooting to where Kaguya had levitated to, the wind whistled from the sheer speed he had displayed and yet-

Kaguya ducked casually, neatly pushing away Kurotsuchi's Doton fist and the spikes of rock that shot up at her. Kaguya merely flared her Byakugan and the enormous wave of lava fell like drooping flowers.

"Are you the... Kage? The dictators of my sons. It is your fault too, that peace had never been obtained..." Kaguya turned her ire onto the four Kage's and if it wasn't for what their titles demanded, they would have crumbled under the weight of her gaze. She gave a flick of a hand and two swirling balls of wind and fire encircled her head, orbiting around her faster and faster until it was a ring of fire. 

Kaguya gave a wave of her hand and the fire flew out, deadly accurate and beautifully fatal, it grew as it soared until it encased the entire four Kage.

"Foolish ones. _Weak_ ones. To service the God Tree would be blessing for you lower beings."

The fire was forcibly swept aside, and four figures stood completely unharmed.

"Don't," Kurotsuchi brushed the dust off her knees, a smirk dancing across her face, though her eyes were deathly serious.

"Underestimate," A flexed his neck and cracked his knuckles, the bones popping menacingly.

"Us," Gaara's sand whipped out, demanding blood more maliciously than his twisted childhood had ever called for.

"Kage." Mei sneered, somehow still managing to paste on a painfully fake saccharine smile.

Team 7 were also back on their feet, furious as ever and Kaguya gritted her teeth, her Byakugan straining the veins around her eyes. 

The eight of them, allies and foes alike, spoke as one:

""I'm just getting started.""

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok is it funny how i have a clear plot for the flashback ONLY gosh i am SOOO unorganised.
> 
> leave a kudo or a comment :p <33


	12. itachi is strong (itachi is weak)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which everyone finds out that itachi is a raging ball of depressing oxymorons. 
> 
> (and a lot more cuz, yk, chibi dei-chan is dying)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> arGHHHH theres so much going on and idk how to take care of each mess without fucking up another  
> like karin needs her pep talk, kaya (the dead mum) needs to be sent off, deidara needs healing, tsunade needs finding and itachi needs to be traumatised in a different room-

"I'll be relying on you then, Itachi."

Itachi had killed Shisui.

Shisui was relying on him.

He had done the right thing- the correct thing, to maintain peace.

At least that's what he thought.

* * *

The fifteen year old sat with Kisame and Sasori at a rural Iwagakure bar. Pain had ordered them to recruit Deidara, an Iwa Nuke-Nin. They were waiting for Hidan and Kakuzu to come back and deliver the intel. It was taking them quite a long time-

"Did you hear? Did you hear?" A man hollered from outside, waving a stack of papers. "An unknown person had defeated two S-Rank Nuke-Nin in one _fell_ swoop!" 

"No way- S-Rank?" A woman from a neighbouring table gasped, scrambling with her friend to go out onto the street. "Who are they? Who did they defeat?"

"Well, we know naught of the person, not affiliation, not nothing! Except for two things..." The man hastily collected a sum of money from a group of people and clumsily handed out more papers. "They were just _barely_ seen by a patrolling Iwa shinobi and there were rumours that they had vivid, dark red hair. The colour of blood- he said."

"The colour of blood?"

"How terrifying-"

"You don't suppose someone like that'd stand out a lot, would you?"

"People say that they might be a bounty hunter, but I disagree!" The newsagent exclaimed.

"So do I," a young man called out, pocketing the newspaper, "my brother is an Iwa Jonin and he told me that there was a large sum of money being donated. Left exactly in the location of the battle."

People crowded and hustled around the man. 

"Your brother's a Jonin?"

"How much money?"

"Did you see the place?"

"How bad was it?"

"Now, now," the young man raised his hands placatingly, looking taken aback, "I don't know much but apparently the money was found with a note that said-" he chuckled, '-'for collateral damage'."

"And as for who they defeated," the first man cut over the giggles and the incredulous mutters of 'seriously?' "Kakuzu of Takigakure and Hidan of Yugakure! Both infamously known for their cruelty and bloodshed. One bounty hunter and one Ja..."

Itachi didn't hear anymore though, because Kisame and Sasori had already moved out and he was expected to follow. 

"Someone hit Zombie Combo." Kisame tsked. 

"Guess we'll have to get the kid ourselves." Sasori said, voice distorted through his puppet.

'The kid.' Right. They were recruiting a _kid._

How did it come to this? Itachi regrets. There were so many other options to take other than ~~killing his family~~ ~~becoming an S-Rank Nuke-Nin~~ following orders. If he had planned it out more, thought it through, he might not be in this situation where he is terrorising and killing. (He might not be under the complete control of Madara.)

'It's for the sake of Sasuke.' Itachi thinks as he walked side-by-side with brutal traitors in a criminal organisation. 'For the sake of...'

"You know he's just twelve, right? He's still a chibi brat." The red-haired man had stood in front of them. 

"Hmph," Kisame had responded. "Only amateurs and visionaries still believe that children can't be shinobi... Unless you're his mum."

Itachi thinks that he acts very much like one.

"That is right." Itachi quietly added. "That boy is already an S-Rank Nuke-Nin." _I was only thirteen when I ~~killed my clan.~~_

The man purposefully looks into his Sharingan then instantly dispelled the Genjutsu he had layered on. Itachi had no idea why he was trying to get into a Genjutsu and from an _Uchiha_ of all people, he's probably stupi-

'No.' Itachi thinks dazedly while the _Kyuubi_ and the man bicker about his death. 'He's not stupid. He's insane.'

_"Technically," the man had grimaced, "I'm not even a Genin. I'm a humble and poor-ish civilian-merchant... but I'm currently hunting down asshole-Nuke-Nin in the name of exacting justice."_

_He then shrugged as if saying: 'don't mind me, just casually killing off some S-Ranks.'_

_Itachi had halted, he was glad he hadn't made himself corporeal for he could openly gape without disrespecting the Uchiha code of looking cool and aloof._

And then afterwards it hadn't even mattered because-

_**"Kill him."** _

Itachi balked.

_"What? NO! He's innocent! I don't want chibi Sasuke to find out about the mission then come to kill me in name of avenging Itachi!"_

_**"Look now! You gave away too much information, now you'll have to kill him. Destroy the evidence."** _

_"You're worse than Tobirama in this Uchiha discrimination thing." Arashi folds his arms and stares judgementally at a random rock._ And Itachi didn't even get- was he pretending it was this 'Kurama'? What even-

_"Admit it, you just want to eat him."_

Eat him- wha-

'Arashi.' Itachi breathes in... and out after gathering his thoughts. 'Ok, the man has a name. Ok, Itachi's mind was in order. There was information that Itachi could comprehend. Be a cool cucumber. Count down your favourite dangos in alphabetical order: botchan dango, chichi dango, kushi dango, mitarashi dango...'

Itachi... Itachi had _finally_ been in a state of Zen and of _course_ that man didn't let him stay Zen.

Time travel. _Time travel, um excuse me-_

Itachi be cool, Itachi be dango-

"...Time travel..." Itachi projects as much Uchiha as he can into his speech. "And what makes you think that-"

"Anyway, Itachi," Arashi cut over him. "I travelled fifteen years into the past..."

Itachi memorised and ingrained every single word that came out of his mouth so that he could have some _semblance of control_ over this one-sided conversation but it was proving to be _extremely difficult-_

'Fourth Great Shinobi War- alliance, what? And, legends and deities? Wait- Sasuke- what-'

"I... I time travelled, I guess." 

Ok Itachi, you got this, think cool cucumber, think botchan dango, open your mouth and demand evidenc-

"...Eurk?"

Itachi wanted to face palm but that'd ruin the already ruined image of a cool and aloof Uchiha.

"I'm going to destroy the Akatsuki so don't get in my way." Arashi said resolutely as if Itachi hadn't just single-handedly destroyed the Uchiha reputation's famed cool and aloofness. "If I hurt you, both Sasukes would hate me and I would hate myself too- for killing a little baby chibi kid like you."

'Little baby chibi kid? Uchiha Itachi, the _Uchiha Itachi_ was just casually dubbed as a 'little baby chibi kid'. _Wow.'_

The man, Arashi, is insane.

The good news was that this was his Dojutsu mindscape so he could act as un-Uchiha-ly as he wanted.

"What the heck?" Itachi faces no one and says 'heck' because anything else is vulgar and disgusting, not because he's a kid- Itachi was not a 'little baby chibi kid', the notion was preposterous, utterly ludicrous- 

He summons dango to nibble ferociously on even though he was merely an astral projection of his body and it would do absolutely nothing to make Itachi feel better.

He spent the next five hours mulling over his decisions. On one hand, he really wanted to murder these bastard Nuke-Nin. On the other hand, this could be a trap and it could backfire horribly. It was extremely suspicious...

Arashi must've had some sort of invincible technique to destroy brains because Itachi's frontal lobe was currently malfunctioning.

He was going to side with Arashi. Dispelling the Tsukuyomi, his eyes, still strained from the technique, focused on Kisame- lighting him up in an impromptu Amaterasu.

_Oww his eyebaaaallllll._

Of course he didn't say that aloud though. He must be one with the cool cucumber and the botchan dango.

* * *

Obviously, Itachi doesn't get to demand answers about the time travel when Deidara gets poisoned by Sasori. Arashi's chakra was explosive and violent, completely undisguised in it's agitation. Itachi doesn't know why he wants to follow him but he does.

Itachi could barely keep up and while he was a prodigy, stupidly strong- he could tell that even if the three Akatsuki members worked together, they still wouldn't be able to defeat Arashi.

That was before Arashi Hiraishins them.

_Hiraishin._

For _Izanagi's sake_ is Arashi _normal_ at anything?

* * *

Karin screeches, "U-U- Uchiha Itachi?!"

"Hello." He says softly in reply because this little girl was the age of Sasuke. So small and adorable. If it wasn't for his Uchiha genes, he would squish their cheeks.

Arashi had taken them straight to Uzushio then hastily lead them over to a small house. If Itachi had to guess, he's pretty sure that Arashi was also a natural sensor.

"Karin, sorry for the shock. First of all, if this little kid was a bad guy, I wouldn't let him _anywhere_ near you, yeah?"

"Of course, I can tell." She adjusts her glasses and looks pointedly at Arashi. She must have a sensing ability too then. And- 'little kid'? Again?

It was then when she notices the prostrated form of- "What happened to Deidara?"

Arashi turns pale, and various emotions flick across his face before he slides on a blank mask. "Poisoned." He says before gritting his teeth. "He defeated Sasori but in some insane last move, he _barely_ managed to poison him."

Karin startled, the chair she was standing beside had tipped over, scraping ear-gratingly in the suddenly deafening, horrified silence. After a few seconds of complete quiet, a determined look solidified on her face.

"Let him bi-"

"No, Karin." Arashi grits out. "No."

"Arashi-san," Karin counters just as unyieldingly. "Let. Him. Bite. Me."

"No." 

Itachi watches the intense exchange with a little worry, he felt so out of place.

"Karin, listen here. We've barely spent any time together, I don't understand how you trust me but I am _not_ going to use your ability. Especially since it hasn't even been long since the Kusa event."

She shoves up her sleeve, revealing arrays of bite marks and Itachi didn't wince, but only because of his eleven years growing up exposed to warfare.

"Arashi-san, whether or not I trust you doesn't matter because I'm not listening to you. _You_ aren't 'using' me because _I_ want to do it." 

She brushed past Itachi to dust the mattress next to them.

"Besides, don't worry so much. Your chakra is _strangling_ me, you know." She joked and all of a sudden Arashi turns even paler- if it was even possible, his face visibly taking a trip down the memory lane. He knew Karin before he 'time travelled' then. Finally, Itachi knew what to do. He cautiously and slowly, like approaching a wild animal, grabbed onto Arashi's wrist and sent a jolt of mild Katon chakra up his limb.

Arashi jolted, "Ah, thanks Itachi-chibi, not the time to think about old stuff, eh?" 

"Ok, here's the plan." He gingerly placed Deidara onto the mat. "I'll summon Bunshin to go find Tsunade-b-hime and spam Hiraishin seals everywhere, I'll stay here to answer whatever questions you have on Itachi and... we'll look after Firecracker together, I guess."

"And while your Bunshin go look for Tsunade, I'll use my ability to stabilise him, capeesh?" Karin said nonchalantly but when she turned around, Itachi could see the hard edge in her eyes. "A shinobi must use their resources to the fullest extent. You saved me. I, a proud, proud Uzumaki, won't take no favours. If I don't use my powers to help Deidara right now, I'm going to fucking walk back to Kusagakure."

The two of them had a heated stare off and Karin must've been very determined because even _Itachi_ felt uncomfortable looking near Arashi's burning purple eyes. 

"Fine." Arashi closes his eyes, sounding tired. He then wrinkles his nose and makes a noise of frustration. "Argh, you stupid, persistent brat- urgh, why do you have to be so nice-"

Karin laughs.

* * *

Itachi follows behind Arashi when he walks out to the town square.

"Arashi-san, what did you mean be Bunshin-"

That was when he rolled his shoulders, and without a single twitch, _thousands_ of redheaded figures materialised for a split second before they disappeared.

"Wha- I, huh-" Itachi rubbed at his eyes and if he wasn't a part of one of the Clans of the Three Great Dojutsu then he would've thought that he was seeing things. "How much- wha, chak-erugh?" Itachi really hated how unbecoming he was acting. 

When the two of them walked back to Karin, Arashi looks over his shoulder to peer down at him.

"You know," Arashi smiles a soft smile, "you don't need to follow me around all the time."

_Shisui had said the same thing._

"Can you show me?"

"Hm?"

"What happens?"

"No."

Wait, what- "Why?"

"You're still a child, Itachi." And after seeing his mouth opening to protest, he turns back around. "'Once you wear a hitai-ate you become a full-fledged shinobi' and an automatic adult. Bullshit. Maybe no one else had treated you like one, but you _are_ a child and I refuse to give you any more burdens. Seeing as you are too jaded to believe a simple 'I time-travelled' by itself, I gave you some content on what happened."

"I didn't understand half of it."

"I don't want you to."

They reach Karin, who was- without a grimace, cleaning and tending to Deidara's wounds.

"Ok- ouch," Deidara groaned. "Karin- stop, stop, stop, I'm _fine-"_

"You aren't 'fine', stupid, mega-moron." Karin splats a wet towel over his face. "Dumb idiot, reckless imbecile." She mutters furiously.

"Don' feel like shit anymo' you can stop."

"Bad word, Firecracker." Arashi plops onto the ground next to Karin. "You know you scared the ultra shi- crap out of me, right?"

"Uh, sorry." Deidara woozily looks up again at the Akatsuki cloaked form of- "Itachi!" He violently jolts, ignoring the squawks of Karin and Arashi before settling down again. "I must be prett' shit if I'm hallucinatin' aha-ehehe..."

"No, Itachi is actually here."

"Delusions now hm..."

Itachi had never felt so insignificant but well, whatever. He walked slowly over to the blond boy, measuring his pulse and checking his fever, ignoring the feverish mutters of 'this hallucination is very vivid hm'. 

"Slow acting poison." He informs the two. "Symptoms of influenza and minor paralysis... so I think it was Sasori's go-to paralytic. If going untreated for two days, he will suffer a slow death."

"That's plenty of time." Arashi narrows his eyes. "I should be able to find Tsunade in three hours max-" at Itachi's incredulous stare, he adds, "-with Sage Mode." And Itachi doesn't even feel surprised anymore- of course Arashi knows Senjutsu. The better question is: what doesn't he know? At Karin's deadpan, she thought the same.

"Any other amazing powers you're going to pull out of a storage seal?" She drones. "Actually don't even reply to that, by my guess, I'd say that you've already mastered all five elements."

"Well, Raiton is still a bit tingly for me." Arashi rubs the back of his head. "It's too sparky for my taste but Sa-" His jaw snaps shut. "But the other four elements come rather naturally."

"You are kidding." Karin gawks and Deidara continued to murmur unintelligently. Itachi looks down at the dusty floor and pretends that he wasn't standing next to the most overpowered moron in the Five Great Nations.

* * *

"Itachi," Arashi swings around exasperatedly. "I. Am. Not. Going. To. Show. You."

Arashi had excused himself when Karin prepared her healing, so obviously, this was the perfect time to bug him for answers.

"Not show," Itachi doesn't whine because Uchiha don't whine. "Just tell me what happened."

"I did."

"More detail."

Arashi cards a hand through his hair, "Fine, fine, it was my bad to dump all that information on you all at once. I'll tell you only what you want to know."

"I want to know everything."

"What a brat." 

Itachi doesn't pout because Uchiha don't pout.

"Five questions." Arashi relents.

"Konoha?"

"No Villages left."

Itachi breathes slowly, he expected this. He expected this. Inhale... exhale.

"Sasuke?"

Arashi's breath catches and he turns around, Itachi tries not to let panic overtake him. 

"He might be alive. I don't know- he, he just- I don't know. I hope he is." 

Inhale... exhale.

"Enemies?" Itachi can't help but flush at the admittance that- "I didn't understand what you said last time."

"Well, they're not going to be alive if I can help it." Arashi bites out, bloodthirst rippling for a second before it was shoved down. "Otsutsuki Kaguya, the mother of the Sage of the Six Paths and generations of the Gokage Edo Tensei and... more. Right now, I can prevent it by getting rid of the people who are masterminding it."

Itachi nods, because of course- to remove the weed, you destroy the roots first. He wracks his mind for anything else he needed to know. For all that he was curious, he was suddenly blanked of questions.

"Population count?"

"You... you're pushing it, chibi kid." 

And usually Itachi would glower at him for calling him that again but... that was bad news. "How many?"

"Itachi, look-"

"Arashi-san," he says quietly. "I k-killed my family, my clan and traumatised my brother when I was thirteen. I can handle it. Speak." He adds on because Uchiha are always polite, "Please."

"Stupid baby brat." The man frowns but Itachi is unwavering in his stare. 'Don't lie to me,' he tries to project. 'It would be a disgrace to their memories,' Arashi's eyes seem to reply.

"Including me and S-Sasuke," Arashi hunches his shoulders as if trying to avoid the answer and his eyes turned glassy. "Two."

Itachi _chokes,_ and _everything he did._ Everything. He. Did. And in the end everyone's going to die? How? The Villages- Konoha, what-

Itachi files away the emotions, suppressing them with practised ease-

"Don't." Arashi frowns at him.

"Don't what."

"Don't do that Uchiha thing where you think you're so angsty that you're not allowed to be traumatised with other people."

"I- What?" Itachi croaks. 

"Come on, little chibi baby ninja." Arashi raises his arm a bit before letting it flop. "Let's be sad lonely people together, and then, we'll blow up what made us sad and when everything's nice and exploded, hopefully, we won't be sad anymore."

"That doesn't make sense." Itachi steps forward, and for the first time in a long time- in _ages_ (in his entire life?) he accepts the hug.

Itachi doesn't understand why he asked, he already knows- the Kyuubi and Hiraishin, the Uzumaki red hair. It should be pretty obvious but-

He looks past Arashi's shoulder, curling a bit into the warmth, and blows at his vibrant red hair.

"What was your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

"Oh god, Karin, I swear if I wasn't paralysed, I would dump that whole bucket of water all over you and your red red hair hm." Deidara makes a face when Karin, yet again, threw a towel onto his face.

"Males. I pray." Karin sneers in disgust as if she hadn't nearly had a heart attack when she found out. "Did you see yourself? You were covered in mud and dirt. So filthy, I wouldn't touch you with a ten-metre long pole."

"Then stop towelling me!"

"Bite me." 

Deidara rolls his eyes. "Jeez, hypocri-"

Karin shoved her arm under his nose. "Bite me."

Deidara, in a moment of insanity, did a double take. "Is this some kind of Uzumaki ritual? I don't- I don't eat human flesh hm!"

"Hurry up, stupid."

"No, no, danna- help- I don't want to be a cannibal- this is assault hm!"

Karin drew back her arm to face palm and after three seconds, the penny drops. 

"Ohhhh, I get it..." Deidara nodded in comprehension, "You want me to- No way! I am- No way danna would let you-"

"For god's- for the last time, _Arashi-san_ isn't 'letting' me do anything. I am my own person, now bite."

"No."

Karin sighed and rolled her eyes, "It doesn't matter that much. Really." She added when Deidara had shot her an astonished expression. "If you do it properly and lightly, it just stings a bit. It only hurts if it's overused." Karin averted her eyes, that _was_ true for fully developed adults... but not really for her. A little exaggeration wouldn't hurt anyone though.

"Ok, lightly hm." Deidara eyed her expression cautiously. "So it doesn't hurt... hm."

"Are you sure this isn't cannibalism hm?"

* * *

_-One and a half hours later-_

Arashi's eyes snap open and at once, Karin and Itachi were on guard. 

"Found Tsunade."

Karin swivels around, mouth agape, "Already? It hasn't even been a few hours!"

"To repeat: thousands of Kage Bunshin, Hiraishin and Sage Mode. I'm honestly surprised it took that long." He says grimly. "The main problem is getting her help, she might not want to help us."

"Tsunade-hime had relations in Uzushio." Itachi suggests hesitantly. "She's impartial to Uzumakis especially now that they've..."

"Yeah ok," Arashi furrows his brow in thought. "Itachi, you up for another Hiraishin?" Itachi nods in reply, his best friend was famous for his Shunshin, he was rather used to the sudden pull and vertigo.

"Let's go."

* * *

"...so you're a civilian merchant." Tsunade eyes Arashi up and down, then glances at Itachi and Deidara. "...in an ANBU uniform and travelling with the infamous Uchiha Itachi, member of an S-Rank criminal organisation who is carrying an Iwa S-Rank Nuke-Nin."

"Ex-member, Tsunade-hime." Itachi says quietly. "I'm keeping the cloak because it's warm."

"...Right." Tsunade looks back at Shizune and Tonton. "Did you spike my drink? I'm either going insane or Red had just said he was a civilian."

"Hah, dan'a," Deidara slurs, only partially lucid. "Toldya it'd ne'er work."

"O- _kay,_ damnit. I'm just a very, uh, _active_ civilian right now." Arashi bit his lip and added, "I'm... Uzumaki. There were no graduation exams for me to pass in the first place."

When the atmosphere dims gloomily he reiterates.

"Please help him." Arashi calls up the manners he had never used in the Before and dips his head minutely, wracking his brain for what he's meant to do.

"Come in then," Tsunade says after a few stifling seconds as she examines the quartet again. "Hallucinations shouldn't be able to do harm to me anyway." At Karin's taken aback expression, she cackles.

* * *

"Sorry Shizune," Tsunade rubs her temples. "Can you go get..."

"I'll go get you your sake, Tsunade-sama." Shizune gives her a pitying look and this was probably the first and only time she would allow Tsunade alcohol but- "No, no, I meant, can you go get me some painkillers? I swear, did Uchiha just say he was-"

"Ordered to slaughter my clan to prevent a civil war and save my baby brother." Itachi summarises, sipping the tea that he doesn't think is poisoned and effectively hiding his face. 

"Ok, sake. Shizune. Go." She snaps. "Sorry, Itachi, give me a moment to process that... Fucking Sarutobi-sensei. Fucking Danzo." 

Arashi sits with Karin next to Deidara who had just ingested the antidote Tsunade had created, waiting for him to stir.

"Anything else to throw onto me?" Tsunade groggily squints at Arashi about five minutes later, "You, Uzumkai-chan, Uzumaki-kun, you have anything to share?"

Karin automatically looks at Arashi in question and he nods in confirmation.

"Kagura Shingan and... healing factors." Karin's eyes dart away. "I might be a wanted person because I was held in Kusa for use."

"For use-" Tsunade bristles before gesturing at Arashi with a forced inhale. "You, brat."

"First of all," Arashi smiles again, a tick forming above his head. "I am _twenty-four_ and this is the second time I've been called brat and yes, Tsunade- _obasan,_ I know you're _elderly_ but I am a goddamned adult-"

"Excuse me? Obasan? Elderly? Who do you think you are? Stupid brat!"

"Old hag." He shoots back coolly.

"Uneducated pipsqueak."

"Senile fat lady."

"Fat-"

"Um, Arashi-san," Itachi jerks his chin, trying to convey the 'you're-arguing-with-a-Legend-shut-up-please' in his gesture.

"I already told you," Arashi rolls his eyes. "I'm a civilian merchant but I'm currently a little more active."

"Active," Karin drones monotonously, "as in he kills S-Rank Nuke-Nin as pastime."

"Only the asshole ones, Itachi-chibi-chan and Firecracker are S-Rank and I haven't killed them." Arashi looked insulted. 

"Also," Karin adds in, heedless of Arashi's kicked puppy look. "He threatened the Kusakage, blew up a building by snapping his fingers, has mastery over all five natural chakra elements-"

"Four!"

"-has Sage Mode, he also has so much chakra that he could summon thousands of Kage Bunshin and not be exhausted and we haven't seen him use his chokuto." Karin lists off, thankfully not mentioning his Hiraishin. "Anything I missed?"

"Arashi-san took on Hidan and Kakuzu at the same time and won." Itachi mentions. 

"Oh yeah, and I could bet my entire life that he's the best Fuuinjutsu master in the Five Great Nations." Karin bobs her head solemnly, making a dramatic gesture of crossing her heart.

"Aww," Arashi deadpans. "How adorable- complimenting your amazing Arashi-nii now, are you? Itachi-chibi, are you trying to leech dango off me or something?"

After sitting in a daze for half a minute, Tsunade pipes in mischievously. "So have I been invited into this mess of a dysfunctional family?"

"Try and escape," Karin gives her a thumbs up.

"Wha'sit?" Deidara blinks slowly before his eyes cleared. "Oh hey! I feel amazin' hm!" He sits up immediately before flopping back down in a groan of pain.

"Have fun Tsunade-sama." Shizune inches away from the group and Tonton- that blasted lucky pig, had already left. 

"Oh no, Shizune." Tsunade grips her wrist until her bones creak. "I'm not staying in a room of crazy people by myself."

""Hey!"" The four say at the same time in different tones. ""I'm not the crazy one.""

"Deidara thought that he was being forced to cannibalism when I told him to bite me!" Karin shakes a fist in front of her.

"I had a fever! You should see Kazama-danna hm," Deidara butts in. "He always _always_ says that he's going to be a civilian-merchant hm! And yes, with the hyphen! Call that sane hm?"

"That is right." Itachi chimes in. "At first I thought Arashi-san was stupid but then I found out that he was insane."

"Fine," Karin accepts as if Arashi wasn't standing right in front of them. "I admit, he is probably the most insane."

"Objections?" Tsunade calls out like a judge in court. "Ok, it's decided. Red brat is officially the most insane."

"I'm... not going to contribute to this conversation." Arashi rolls his eyes and turns to dope slap Deidara, ignoring his squawk.

"What the fuck, danna?" Deidara rubs his head as if it had actually hurt. "Karin said that, go hit her!"

Then Arashi swooped in for a bone-crushing hug. 

"That was for getting poisoned. I made a mental list of what to do and hitting you came after healing you. Deal with it."

"Yeah, Deidara," Karin rolls up a sleeve again but this time, it wasn't for healing it was for- "let me give him one too, Arashi-san! Maybe I'll knock some brains back into him."

(Itachi thinks that, for once, he might've made the right decision.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i got so off topic meh who gives
> 
> hope it was a good solution to deidara's poisoning :D
> 
> also idk what to do w orochimaru, on ONE hand, i kinda want to redeem him. on the OTHER it would mean less time in konoha- wait a sec. wat if arashi went to konoha and THEN-  
> oh gods, chibi sasuke- how will he react to itachi. crap. crap. fuck.
> 
> ignore me :p


	13. a nice, insane dysfunctional family (they all love it)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shizune pov... arashi gets his hiraishin tattoo
> 
> a lot of povs...  
> tsunade being a drunk... ish  
> idk...
> 
> i cant do summaries for shit
> 
> read the notes cuz it has a bunch of warnings or whatever  
> (not serious ones, just warnings of some of my many fuck ups)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god euRGHHH i have a big clusterfuck plan for the next encounter (akatsuki and not) but its gonna be so fucked up idek how im gonna do it. so this chapter is essentially just stalling for a shitfest :D
> 
> also theres a bit of info on what arashi had worn/was wearing but im pretty sure u dont care abt the details and i dont either so if its a bit unmatched up, meh
> 
> also, (god im coming back to edit the notes so much) the scar isnt canon cuz we've seen naruto shirtless but then what the actual fuck is my title for then???
> 
> also (yes again) the time line is fucked up dont question it. if something goes wrong, turn around and dango meditate.

Shizune expertly twirled the needle in her hand. Freshly applying a layer of ink, she repressed the urge to stare at the huge scar that wrapped around Arashi's lower right bicep, just above the elbow.

The red headed man had shimmied off his armour and his shirt then tugged off his elbow length gloves so that Shizune could ink the tattoo. He had then promptly slumped forward, his upper body resting against the table and his face facing the wooden surface of the furniture, left arm cushioning his head and right hand outstretched. She had no idea why he was acting so downtrodden or, dare she say, meek.

The length of seals was staggering- even though it was barely visible under his sleeveless mesh top, she could still see the outline of a multitude of lines and shapes that twisted and flowed, a few marks and strokes trailed down his arm and even _more_ had appeared when Tsunade, who was currently running a medical examination, told him to fluctuate different parts of his chakra.

Shizune was fairly adept at Fuuinjutsu but she didn't understand a single stroke of it other than the two kanji for 'love' and 'time' on his wrists. She double checked her needle before starting.

A perfect circle in the centre of his right palm.

Fairly simple. If not for the fact that he was sending constant chakra into it- Shizune guesses that it might be a disguised Fuuinjutsu. 

Shizune really doesn't understand how that worked but she was asked, paid, so she will do her job.

"Arms up, Red." Tsunade orders, "Mesh shirt. Or I'll cut it off and you probably can't afford another one with the amount of kids you've got."

Shizune leans back, needle paused as Arashi drags himself up and lifts his arms up obligingly. 

Shizune chokes and she didn't even bother to hide it. Her Shishou exhales sharply, not with surprise, as expected of Tsunade- of course she had noticed such a large...

Her eyes flicked away from the giant scar that webbed from his heart, completely missing the small flinch on Arashi's face.

Shizune will. Do. Her. Job.

She tried to tune out Tsunade's professional tones, questions and Arashi's following replies.

From Tsunade's teachings, she could tell that it was charged with electricity, Raiton Jutsu. Yet most people- scratch that, _anyone_ would die from a wound like that, it was a fatal strike so how...? Does he have the Byakugo? It was highly unlikely but then what was- Shizune dips her head a little, glancing at his forehead- what was that shape? She moves to dip the needle into ink again, eyes glancing back to the scar.

'No,' she narrows her eyes, 'it was hit just to the right of the heart, it must've been a miracle for him to survive it. Uzumaki vitality perhaps?'

Shizune moves to touch up the tattoo that she had definitely spent too much time on for a simple design. She focuses very intently on not looking back at the other tiny scars, barely visible with his paler skin, but still there. It made her wonder, in awe and horror, what kind of terrifying opponent he had faced to bear such injuries.

They were all perfectly targeted spots: in the weakest links of the bone, Tenketsu, muscle joints, pressure points... Those were the places that were hardest to heal, the victim would suffer excruciating pain in both receiving it and recuperating from it. The scabbing and colouring indicated most of them being nearly a decade old and the-

Her eyes once again darted to the large ugly scar- that must've been _at least_ a decade old. If her calculations were correct, Arashi had received it before or around the start of his teenage years. At around age 10. 

Tsunade had no doubt taken one look at it before instantly diagnosing each injury. No wonder she had taken to her sake mid-examination. Shizune felt sick just thinking about it.

"Finished?" The man grunted, voice muffled from beneath the wooden table. Arashi flops his right hand around in question.

Shizune snaps out of her thoughts. 

"Ah- yes," she nods even though he was still facing the table. "It was a good idea to not go to usual tattooists; where you decided to have your tattoo was connected to the Carpal Tunnel which has nerves important for sensory, motor functioning and coordination- it could have greatly hindered your Bukijutsu- and the main palm strike release Tenketsu."

Arashi hummed.

"Tsunade-obasan? Done?"

"I was done ages ago, stupid brat." 

When the man pulled himself up to put his gear back on, he saw the conflicted expression on Tsunade's face. 

"Despite all your... past injuries, you are perfectly healthy. I would also say your chakra is normal but even for an Uzumaki, you have so much of it that I thought I had been spiked again."

"How much do I have?" Arashi turns to face Tsunade, a face of curiosity.

"It's... it's _inhuman._ Around four Kage worth right now, give or take." She says dryly, "And you aren't even at full capacity from just fighting two S-Ranks and spamming Kage Bunshin every few seconds. I'd say... if you were at your absolute best condition, you would have nearly a double your current amount of chakra. What the fuck."

"Wow," the man furrows his brow, "I have _that_ much?" 

While the two continued their light hearted talk, Shizune stood there awkwardly, her curiosity and professional decorum battling internally. She wanted to know about that scar... but was it rude? Did he know she was analysing it? Was it a sore point?

"It was a long time ago." The man says, turning to face her and chuckling a bit and Shizune felt mortified that she had been read so easily.

"I-it was..." He sighed tiredly, a faraway look in his eyes and an indescribable expression on his face... something of nostalgia, something of pain and something of silent yet unbounded affection.

And all of a sudden, she doesn't know why but she feels like she's intruded and Shizune's heart _hurts._

The three spend the next moments in silence, one reminiscing, one quietly and one fighting back unexplained, reasonless tears before-

"Shizune-sa-" Karin's voice starts politely behind the sliding door before Deidara, who obviously didn't have as much tact, slammed it open.

"Shizu-neesan!" Deidara booms. "I want one too hm!"

"Dei, you stupid idiot!" Karin enters via a fist over the blonde's head. "Do you have no etiquette?"

The Uzumaki girl turns to face the bemused trio. "Shizune-san, may I get the same tattoo please? I have money." She adds.

"Me too hm!" Deidara pushes past an offended and unamused Karin. "Do me first! Danna can pay for me." 

Itachi hovers by the doorway like an awkward and slightly concerned guardian. He had swapped out his Akatsuki cloak for a dark-grey, less 'I'm-a-scary-Nuke-Nin' one with a white, fur lined hooded jacket.

Shizune looks at the three children and pretends that before yesterday, she hadn't thought that two of them were malevolent traitors and one of them didn't exist. She looks at Tsunade for guidance but she seemed just as baffled.

"You know what this is right?" Arashi gestured to Shizune and her ink pots. "It's per-ma-nent." He mouths slowly as if they were Academy students.

"Yeah, danna, that's the point hm." 

"You know what I'm tattooing it _for,_ right?"

"Arashi-nii," Karin adjusts her glasses and Shizune vaguely feels like she was looking down at the two of them. "We aren't stupid. Well," She turns to Deidara before turning away, "I meant, _I'm_ not."

"Hey!" Deidara whirls to face her. "I'm older than you, hm, so of course _I'm_ smarter than you, _oh_ Karin _-chan_."

"Gross." Karin sticks her tongue out at him. "You call me chan and I'll call you kun. I dare you, motherfucker."

"Karin!" There was Itachi's soft reprimand, the Uchiha sounded both exasperated and horrified, "Don't speak like that!"

Karin merely gives him a half-hearted apologetic look before Deidara replies with-

"Karin-chan."

 _"Dei-kun."_ She coos back false saccharinely.

They both make faces at each other and there was a dull _thud_ in the background as Itachi rested his head against the door frame.

"First of all," Arashi pauses, before burying his face in his hands, "you called me nii! Ah, I'm so honoured, so proud-"

"Danna, stop being gross." Deidara deadpans.

"You're just jealous, Dei-baka- _kun_." Karin sniffs. "Or do you prefer Dara-kuso-kun?"

"Karin-busu-chan."

"Ugly? Deidara you fucke-"

"Second of all," Arashi looks up with narrowed eyes. "Bad word. Listen to Itachi. Don't say bad words, you little shits- I mean, you little brats."

"Hypocri-" The kids start at the same time Itachi exclaims exasperatedly, "Arashi-san!"

Arashi continues, slapping a hand over his mouth melodramatically. "Third of all, you two are like the most adorable rambunctious puppies I've ever had-"

"Danna!" "Arashi-nii!" 

"And fourth- it is fourth right? Fourth of all," His face completely wipes of mirth. "Don't get the tattoo, this isn't a thing you can go back on."

"That's the point." The two sigh.

"No, I mean, _you know what this is right?"_

Shizune feels like the conversation is out of her depth, so she glances at Tsunade for more guidance but she just took a swig at her alcohol in response.

"Yeah, danna, it's a H- mmph!"

"Deidara!" Karin adjusts her grip so that she's choking him in a sleeper hold. "We know what it is," She glares at Deidara before turning back to Arashi. "And we're getting it as a sign of our trust." She pushes up her glasses with her one free hand. "And so that you can save our asses when we need it."

Arashi squints at the two conflictingly and Shizune decides to give up on comprehending the situation. 

"You two, come here." Shizune sighs, preparing another needle as the two cheered.

"Wait, wait wait," Arashi holds up his hands when the two moved forward. "I'm not-" he sighs, "-stopping you but I need to pour chakra into it while it's being made, the seal just needs Nin ink to attach itself onto so you can choose any tattoo you want as long as it's bigger or about the size of this circle." He shows them his slightly pinkened palm. "An incomplete seal is a null one. Without embedding my seal into it, it won't work. Dumb kids."

Karin slaps her forehead, "How did I not realise that? Such a beginner mistake." She tsked while Deidara nods in comprehension.

"I don't get it hm." Or maybe not. "But I _do_ get what picture I want hm!"

"It's a tattoo not a picture, Dei." 

"I want a firework hm, but not a real-looking one... Maybe one that looks like a spark?" Deidara frowns in thought. "Like a simple one?"

Shizune pulls out a small pad of paper, drawing an asterisk with dotted lines expanding outwards. "Something like this?"

"Yeah, that's perfect hm." He nods happily while Karin was still pondering.

"I want waves, simplistic ones." Karin traces a motion with her finger in the air after a few contemplative silences. "Just a single line, one roll of wave... if it's good enough."

At Arashi's nod, the two cheer again and Tsunade scoffs good-naturedly. Shizune smiles.

She honestly didn't know what to think when the quartet barged in, well, fine, they didn't _barge in,_ they knocked politely and that had actually set her off even more. But after the explanation... the Uchiha Massacre. She had trembled at the memory, had felt the nauseous churning of her gut. She thought she would never feel queasy again after becoming a fully fledged Med-Nin.

'Poor kid,' Shizune had thought, but his situation was way worse than the two words simply called for. 'Fifteen, _fifteen._ And he was _thirteen_ at the time.' And when she saw him, she could see nothing of the cold-blooded killer that was titled across the newspapers nearly two years or so ago. She had never doubted the Hokage even though she had listened to Tsunade's many drunken rants on how 'Sensei lets that old war hawk run all over him', but now... but now she thinks that she'll rant with her Shishou the next time it happens.

And then the blonde boy, the Iwa S-Rank, that kid was _twelve._ She had heard that Academy students graduate at that age _._ She knew the lives of child prodigies and they weren't nice. Shizune had no clue why he became a Nuke-Nin but watching his interactions with the others: the bickering with Karin, the clumsy fraternal exchanges with Itachi and the obvious fondness between Arashi and Deidara that was so badly disguised behind teasing insults... she couldn't imagine the young blonde being malicious. 

There was the Uzumaki girl, who spoke of her 'stay' in Kusa with a clipped tone, bordering on professional- she spoke of it like it was a trivial event and not something that _normal_ ten year olds would get permanently traumatised from. Shizune could tell that Tsunade was furious on behalf of Karin, no one else would but the twitch of her index finger and the slight tilt of her eyebrows as she tried to ward off a headache... all spelled the doom of Kusagakure- or, well, what was left of it.

Then there was Arashi who was even _more_ than the rest of them. Shizune wasn't even going to start on him but she knows how Tsunade sees a shadow of Nawaki and Dan, Tsunade's brother and Shizune's uncle that she had never met before, in him and Shizune didn't know how to feel about it.

She finished Karin's tattoo on her outer wrist with a swift, professional flourish, Arashi sends a few more flares of chakra before nodding, moving onto Deidara and- was that a _mouth on his hand?_

* * *

The sun had sank and the second day with Tsunade had passed faster than ever, once again, Deidara and Karin dogpiled onto a spare futon; Itachi dragged with them. Tsunade had retired to her room with Shizune.

Arashi had sat on the floor, laying his back against the wall and leaning on the sofa's soft fabric, pretending to wait for the sleep that he knew would not come. After the sounds of breathing had evened, heartbeats growing steady, Arashi stood up silently, heading for the rooftop.

Unlike yesterday though, Itachi slowly followed him. Arashi lets him.

'Kurama,' Arashi knocks on his mindscape... however that works. He was sitting Indian style on top of the small mechanical penthouse. The Kyuubi grumbled, stirring from his nap. Arashi was still worried about the two children's instant trust in him, getting a seal tattooed on them would equal death or worse if he were to betray them.

Obviously he wouldn't but he couldn't say the same for other people. It was like purposefully being caged, a seal that Arashi had access to at _any_ time, _anywhere-_ didn't they understand that? 

**"Stupid brat,"** Kurama rumbles, his guttural growl was something he didn't know he could miss.

'Dumb fox. You slept for so long.'

**"You mean you did so much in so little time and since you're an irresponsible brat, you couldn't handle it by yourself?"**

'Same thing.'

Kurama scoffs, **"Why are you suspicious?"**

'Why _aren't_ you?' Arashi counters disbelievingly. 'You were always mega suspicious and cautious of _everyone_ and now two kids had just _asked_ to be permanently attached to me.'

 **"Arashi you-"** Kurama sighed. **"We aren't in times of war anymore- first of all. Secondly, those are kids that you genuinely saved, of course they would trust you. And my last point, those kids are strong."**

'How's that...'

**"Your mind game has gotten weak, brat. Those kids are strong so they're strong enough to judge who to trust. They're strong enough to understand the implications. Arashi, you stupid, moronic brat."**

Arashi raises a hand, opening his mouth before clicking it shut, scratching the back of his head. 'That's... it?'

 **"That's it, you shouldn't have needed my help to figure it out."** Kurama rolls his eyes again before they sharpened. **"** **Focus,** **Arashi. The Uchiha brat looks like he'll implode."**

Arashi glances at the boy who held his usual emotionless expression- 'implode, huh.' He raises a brow at Itachi who was still hovering by the railing of the rooftop and patted the spot next to him. Obligingly, he trots over, jumping up and gingerly sits at the edge.

"What is it, Itachi-chibi?" 

It said a lot when Itachi didn't glare at him for that.

"Tsunade-hime wanted to heal the Mangekyo drawbacks." Itachi then slumps his shoulders a bit. "No offense, Arashi-san, but you've mucked up my entire life plans."

"I'm... glad to hear that actually." Arashi frowns at him, "Your life plans sucked."

"O-oh."

"What about it? The Mangekyo?"

"Tsunade-hime said that the Dojutsu weren't fit for 'normal people like us' and the power strains our chakra coils too much." 

"That... sounds reasonable, you do know that the Sharingan came from the child of Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths, right?"

"Yeah... it was on the stone tablet-"

"Oh yeah! The stone tablet, oh _fuck."_ Arashi jolts all of a sudden. "Black Zetsu actually changed it so don't rely on the information, ok?"

"Oh. Well, I didn't trust what our Elders had provided anyway." Itachi said firmly. "How the Infinite Tsukuyomi will save the Uchihas or whatever, I tried to forget about it."

"Wise choice. So can you fix the drawbacks?"

"She said the eye and brain's chakra coils are extremely delicate and she says the safest thing she can do is prevent more harm. And also to start strengthening my first two Gates in meditation or something."

"So what's bad about that?"

"My... my entire life plan."

"Uh, um." Arashi scratches his cheek. "Sorry not sorry?"

"And also of the reason why I didn't get your Hiraishin mark, it wasn't because I don't trust yo-"

"Itachi, honestly, if you were a good shinobi, you _wouldn't_ trust me."

"Uh- oh." Itachi turns to look at him in a deadpan manner. "Then I'm a pretty terrible shinobi. I'm uh, I don't like needles and ink and stuff." Itachi then cringes at his informal speech, no doubt he was thinking that it was unbecoming of an Uchiha. "That's the only reason I didn't get it inked."

Arashi pressed his lips together to stop the laughter bubbling up at him. 

"Arashi-san?"

"Pfft-ahaha, oh gods. Sorry- sorry," the man shakes his head, grin not leaving his face. "The Itachi from Before seemed so undefeatable, so invincible. But here I'm learning that you don't like ink. You're awkward with kids. You're a little bit dumb in mental issues. I was already doubting the fact that you were crazy selfish over dango when Sa- when he told me."

"Arashi-san, I think you have an ability to make insanity be contagious. I'm not... well, I'm not awkward with kids, Deidara and Karin are... like Sasuke."

The red headed man couldn't help but flinch at the name and he cursed at his weakness.

"You didn't deny anything else, dango addict." He points out instead. Arashi activates a sealing scroll and a Nin cord necklace with a tiny three pronged kunai charm drops in his hand. He holds it out to the baffled teen.

"It took a damned long time to compress the Hiraishin seal into that tiny thing, so you better appreciate it. I only have a few." Arashi grabs Itachi's wrist when he didn't respond immediately, prying open his fingers and firmly pushing the pendant into his palm.

Itachi opens his mouth to deny the gift, the automatic response that was taught by his parents before snapping his jaw shut, fingers curling around the cool metal. "Thank you."

"Do they know?" Itachi looks at Arashi questioningly after a minute of comfortable silence.

"Know what?" 

"That you don't sleep."

Arashi gives a snort, "well obviously Tsunade-obasan knows, Shizune might know, _you_ know and Karin could probably tell from her sensory abilities. Deidara, I'm not sure, but I've been with him the longest and he's not an S-Rank for his brute force only, he's stupidly cunning for an twelve year old. And besides-" He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "I _do_ sleep, when I get tired." 

"Arashi-san is planning on going to Konoha?" Itachi asks. "You can't bring me. You know that right?"

"Soon," He confirms hesitantly. "And yes, I know. A part of me wants to fuck it all and scream what really happened that night but I know it won't work out good. Bringing Deidara will cause political issues that could potentially lead to war and Karin... I want to bring her to Naruto because they deserve family but I can't help but pick out everything that could go wrong with her stay in Konoha."

"You could go alone and leave them to m-"

"No, Itachi, you also need to be looked after." Arashi says tiredly. "You're fifteen, you still get nightmares and before now you were planning for a way to get your little brother to kill you and steal your eyeballs. No, Itachi."

"That's... I anticipated that reaction. If Tsunade-hime would be willing, what do you think she'll say?"

"That depends on how good you can all henge." Arashi squints in thought. "Tsunade-obasan has a reputation and if she goes missing or is seen with other people let alone _you all,_ there could be rumours about many things... she's taking students, she's adopting kids... whatever. But either way, I'm not going to Konoha straight away, Zetsu needs to be completed eradicated. And I'm going to see if I can do something with the leaders first."

"Pain? And Konan?" Itachi's face turns pinched. "He has the Rinnegan and with it, an unmoveable god complex. Konan is, in short, his lackey and is legitimately called an angel. What will you do with them? Pain- He..."

"He wants peace." 

"You'll try to convince him to stop doing it this way?"

"I've done it- I did it last time. I had convinced him last time..." Arashi slowly says, this time more doubtfully... he wasn't like from Before (he wasn't Uzumaki Naruto- the main character of a novel, Jiraiya's student-) so maybe it wouldn't work. Maybe he'd have to ki-

He grabbed the thought and stomped onto it viciously, he could do it. He could change Nagato, he's done it before and he could do it again. He instead started thinking about 'Madara'- "And then there's Obito."

"Obito? He's dead- Uchiha Obito died in the Kanabi Bridge incident." Itachi repeats evenly. "He's my cousin. He's dead."

"Oh no- oh shit, you didn't know. I'm so sorry," Arashi wanted to bury his face in his hands because- "Obito is the masked man." _Obito helped you kill your clan._

Maybe Arashi was selfish for not wanting to always deliver the information but he hated seeing the horrified, sick and slightly betrayed look on the teen's face. Itachi pressed his palms against his eyes and breathed in a far too controlled speed to be natural.

"Why?" Itachi croaks after a few tense seconds. "Why would he?"

"He's being manipulated," he frowns, remembering the seal on Obito's heart. "By a seal created by Madara. I'll see if I can fix it, but if not..."

"Then you'll kill him." Itachi finishes severely. "Just like you'll kill Nagato if it doesn't work."

After a few moments of silence, Arashi opens his mouth. "For peace, no- I'm not that magnanimous, not anymore... For the sake of my friends and for the lives of thousands... yes."

"I'll kill him." He dips his head, a curtain of blood red flowing past his face, and repeats quietly. "I'll kill them both."

* * *

"Tsunade-obasan?" Arashi greets hesitantly when she waved him over the following evening. He was pleasantly surprised at how fast hours went by even from doing mild things like cooking, talking and, in Deidara's case, healing from the remains of poisonous injuries.

"Have a drink, Red," Tsunade drowsily waves a sake bottle, messily throwing a cup at him, which he deftly caught. "In memory of those loved and those lost... or whatever the saying was."

"I don't drink." He says, but nevertheless, accepts the wild sloshing from the bottle. 

"Light weight?" She narrows her eyes almost challengingly. "Little twig stick like you-" "Excuse me, hag?" "-bet you couldn't handle some fine stuff." Tsunade then snorts and takes a shot, "I'm not here for a drinking contest though," She ignored his mutter of "if you say so" and continues. "I'm not here for an interrogation either..."

Arashi smirks with a tinge of sadness, taking a dainty sip at the beverage. "Not caring for my tragic backstory, hime-sama?"

"Of course not." She downs another cup, eyes flicking for a single millisecond to where he knew his Chidori scar was. "I can see it, you know." Tsunade inhales, squinting at him. "Even without you telling me, even without the stories the scars tell, the grief... You haven't mourned, have you? Path to revenge? Yet you aren't controlled by it."

"They can't rest until they're gone." Arashi stares at the rippling liquid. "I'm not killing for vengeance, I'm killing to prevent more tragedy."

"Admirable." She shakes the bottle, "Clan. Family. Friends. Lover." Tsunade pours another, liquid sloshing dangerously. "I'd ask who exactly... but in the end, it's mourning all the same."

"Not friends," He sighs at the sweet tinge of the drink. "Family too, just not in blood."

"To the ones long past?" She raises her cup in toast and Arashi hesitates-

"No."

A small, fond and genuine smile takes over his face.

"To gratitude and thanks for your aid that a dear one lives." Arashi presents _his_ toast. "To finding ones who give us life and meaning..."

He thinks about the drunken mess of an old woman he had met, with a screaming heart full of sorrow that lashed out in anger, in acidic tones and then thinks about her quiet fondness that came in pulled punches and screeched insults.

'Baachan' he had called her and 'brat' she had called back. 

Maybe he could- maybe he could help her just a bit earlier than he had from Before. Maybe he could help her instead of waiting for the Naruto here to do it. Arashi braces himself and _continues._

"To meeting new and loving new because they would have wanted you to."

_" ~~Naruto~~ , they believe you; _we _believe you."_

Arashi pretends that his throat didn't close up at his voice. "To the new causes the gone had given."

_"Stand as one thousand and one lives-"_

"To living for the passed but for ourselves even more so. To..." 

_"Shogi?"_

_"Shogi." Shikamaru had confirmed._

_"Both of us know that I'll suck, dattebayo."_

"To the future in which we'll aid in growth, cheer with progress and celebrate success in the stead of the ones from Before."

_"My father and Asuma-sensei had told me about the King." Shikamaru had brought up after yet another swift victory._

_"The... King?" He had squinted at the piece, long used to his loss in the game. "It... looks normal...ttebayo."_

_"You're such a drag to deal with, ~~Naruto~~ ," Shikamaru had rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "A shogi board is a battlefield, the pieces are our shinobi."_

_"Is... is this your covert way of telling me that I suck at strategizing-ttebayo?" He had played the game hundreds of times ever since Shikamaru had first brought it up._

_He lost every time. Badly._

_"No, I'm a Nara, you'll never win against me."_

_"Well duh," He had rolled his eyes back. "The Hokage has advisors for a reason-ttebayo. If I won, then you'd need to step your game up dattebayo."_

"To the Kings of each Village, of each Nation... To-"

_"So the King? Who are they?" The Nara had a challenging glint in his eyes. "Though I struggled with the question, I have a feeling that you know exactly what I, my father and Asuma-sensei had talked about."_

_"Don't kid me, Shika." He had scoffed. "Maybe before you had fooled me with your stupid word games but_ this _tricky word game would never work on me, dattebayo. Obviously, the King of the board is-"_

"-The next generation of shinobi- _of_ _people,_ who we will protect until the time they surpass us."

Arashi nudges his cup closer to Tsunade who had halted, liquor spilt down her haori and across the table, and started to look at him with wide, sorrowful, scared and _hopeful_ eyes. Arashi takes another breath.

"To those loved, those lost and those forthcoming." 

Arashi holds, holds and _holds_ his arm out, and he finally lets a broken smile crack across his face as Tsunade held up her half spilt (half full) cup and he knows he had gotten through her when she returns his gesture.

"And most of all, to ourselves, right Red?" The two cups knock lightly against each other. "Because we rock and we deserve a darned toast."

('Obasan' he now calls her and 'Red' she now calls back.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> : )
> 
> i was gonna post more but then i decided to save it for the next chapter so i added in the tsunade and arashi being an inspiration part cuz there weren't enough words lmao.
> 
> it might be my raging female hormones but i felt super sad while writing that last part like wtf bruh it wasnt even that sad... i think. so now im kinda feeling like an angsty bitch and i hate it urgh-
> 
> btw at the start, shizune diagnoses the scars being older than they should b because arashi had healed abnormally fast in the Before cuz of kurama and his uzumaki genes. so to others, it would seem like he had the injury for longer... ok that didnt make any sense. but anyway i think thats what i meant...
> 
> if i make minor mistakes, ples tell me and dont mind too much of it :)  
> 
> 
> hope it was a good read, comment ur thoughts :D
> 
> (btw, obasan is aunt and obaasan is granny)


	14. there are no legends (only human)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the sannin, the kage, the shodai. all considered legends and yet-
> 
> they look at them and realise, 'they're only human'
> 
> (why are they disappointed?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the sannin's timeline is giving me major headaches  
> once again, ignore the amateur plot line mistakes ahahhaha  
> this chapter was so meh that i kinda want to redo it T^T
> 
> (obviously i cant b bothered)
> 
> btw i say this for the fiftieth time, do not even care about the details of the sealing thingymabobby. read it if ur curious to see what shitskerfuck i made up but otherwise dont bother. its essentially instant orochimaru redemption and another reason why danzo deserves to be tortured to death.  
> 
> 
> AYYYY I JUST DELETED LIKE HALF OF IT AFTER REALISING HOW MUCH DARNED WORDS I HAD WRITTEN. SLOW BUILD AF FEEL FREE TO BULLSHIT THIS CHAPTER :D
> 
> also: usually i bullshit the japanese/english jutsu names etc but today i put in japanese then the english translation after it cuz i legit had to search up the original names ahahah

Tsunade scoffs, but it comes out like a choked laugh as she shakes her head at Arashi's sleeping form. Neither of them had drank enough to be completely intoxicated and this stupid boy had just fallen asleep like that. Talk about a horrible drinking partner.

Oh hell, that sounded fond in her head. 

She had taken shot after shot after shot, trying to let the liquor chase off her confusion, denial (from what?) and perhaps, maybe regret. Tsunade is ashamed. This boy- this man, was just like her. Clan lost. Family dead and lover long passed. (And her friends... this man lost them all but _she,_ Tsunade, had abandoned them.)

She still cringes and cries from the memories of Uzushio- of her grandmother, Mito from decades ago, and yet this boy (this man) had confronted all his losses in a single toast and hadn't shed a tear. 

Tsunade doesn't know whether that meant that he was past it or whether he was just too tired of being like... _that._ Like _her-_ drunk, pathetic, meaningless and the complete opposite of the hailed grandiose title of 'Legendary Sannin'. 

_'I'm not a legend!'_ She had wanted to scream it, carve it in the darned ground when people would make a face and mutter-

_'So this is the Legendary Sannin, how disappointing-'_

_'Kaa-san, I thought Tsunade-hime was the greatest kunoichi-'_

_'What's so legendary about her, she's just a-'_

_'How could a Med-Nin be so pathetic-'_

_'And Konohagakure put hopes on the likes of her-'_

_'That drunkard? The one with the enormous-'_

_'Sitting Duck Tsunade-'_

_'A legend, yeah. A Legendary Sucker.'_

_'I'm not a disappointment of a legend!'_ She had wanted to stamp the words all across the Nations. _'I'm like you- human!'_

Was she not allowed to grieve? Was she not allowed to drown in her sorrows? Was having an impenetrable, iron mindset supposed to be worshipped?

But then she didn't care anymore.

Tsunade hated it. Hated her weakness and _hated_ her acceptance of it. She was alcoholic. She was a gambler. She was cynical. She was a failure. So what?

She wonders if that had made her a psychopath. She was the most accomplished Med-Nin; she could save lives. She didn't.

Maybe it was guilt that drove her to save the blonde brat, Deidara. She had seen the Uzumaki, the two of them, and instantly folded. Was it guilt? Did she really deserve to be thanked for that?

Tsunade places a hand on top of the pendant her grandfather had given her. 

_'Tsuna, the shinobi don't die for duty, do you understand that? They die for their Will- their Will of Fire.'_

Hi no Ishi. She was the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama but she was seen as the granddaughter of the Shodaime. She didn't have it- the Will of Fire, not anymore. (Did she have it in the first place?)

But that... could change.

_'I don't understand, Ojii-sama. The Kage are the shadows of the Nations. Of course shinobi die for duty.'_

_'You don't need to understand it, Tsuna, to be able to have it. A person with the Will of Fire loves, believes, cherishes, and fights to protect their family. That's all there really is to it.'_

She unclasps the necklace that she had worn all her life, staring emotionlessly at the swinging pendant. The necklace was cursed, she had believed, it caused horrible deaths of her loved ones.

But maybe, she was thinking about it all wrong. 

_"I'm not killing for vengeance, I'm killing to prevent more tragedy."_

Tsunade hooks it around Arashi's neck. 

_"To meeting new and loving new because they would have wanted you to."_

_"I don't want to die..." Dan's voice is gritted and full of pai-_

_"I still have things I need to do..." Dan looks up and Tsunade averts her eyes from that bloody necklac-_

_"To the new causes the gone had given."_ And what had Tsunade done?

Maybe, she should find her Will of Fire as Senju Tsunade and not as the Honourable Granddaughter of the Shodaime. To others, the notion didn't make sense, but to her, the realisation sparked _determination_ in the depths of her stomach. 

(And if that stone eased the furrow of his brow and soothed the bite to his lips- if that stone could help chase off whatever terrors Arashi was facing in his sleep, then Tsunade could always deny the small smile that curled on her face.)

* * *

Kurama huffs inside the quiet mindscape, not knowing what to think of Tsunade. On one paw, she was not only related to that haughty old bag, Mito, but also Hashirama with his pesky Mokuton. 

On the other paw, this was about the first time Arashi had had a decent sleep and it was because of her familiar chakra. She was also strong when she got off her ass and fairly reliable until she saw blood. Which was pitiful because blood is a part of normal life, let alone a shinobi's one. But she healed the explosion brat and he might be a _tinyyyy_ bit grateful- nah, no way.

Fuck it, he hated caring for people.

* * *

When Arashi wakes up, he can feel the satisfied fullness in his limbs. Judging from the slight dryness in his mouth, he could tell that he had slept for way longer than usual. Seven hours maybe? The outside was a hazy dark blue and his surroundings were silent save for the sounds of light breathing. 

Early morning then.

He didn't know what to think of his impromptu toast, it was like saying them aloud had completely brushed away the thoughts on giving up. It was only when he stretched his arms up that-

'Shodai's necklace?' 

The first thing that came to mind was: 'no wonder I slept so well' followed by a rush of warmth and affection that, to his horror, almost brought tears to his eyes. It was considered a Senju heirloom, Tsunade's treasure.

But that train of thought was violently derailed at the realisation that- he had changed the future.

' _This world's_ Naruto's future. What happens to his future approval to be Hokage or whatever, and the speech and bet about overcoming the stupid, made-up curse that kills everyone who wears it?'

**"Brat, it doesn't matter. You had already changed the future when you killed the Akatsuki members."**

'And isn't Obasan still afraid of blood? Now what? She never becomes Hokage? What-'

**"Arashi, _it doesn't matter."_**

'It doesn't- Ex- _cuse me?'_

**"In the face of the world dying and all you meat bags becoming glorified fertilizer for a tree, can you really say whether or not Naruto gets her approval matter? He'll do it either way with his Nindo and his other friends, you don't need to fuss about the details."**

'I... I am so confused right now, you're... you're actually trying to comfort me.' 

Kurama bares his teeth, **"You'll need to pay for my therapy sessions."**

'Dumb fox, like that even helped. I'm still in a crisis.'

**"You're fine. Kill Zetsu, figure the rest out later."**

'Wow, just like that? Figure it out later?'

 **"What are you going to do? Brood?"** Kurama recoils like the idea had slapped him and Arashi sighs.

'Don't ever change Kurama.'

**"Hmph, as if some lowly human like you could tell me what to do."**

("What's this, Red?" Tsunade taunts when Arashi wrapped his arms around her. "Didn't take you as a touchy-feely type of person." Nevertheless, she returned the hug with just as much grounding stability. 

"Thank you." His voice comes out muffled from where he buried his face into her shoulder.

"It should be the other way around," The woman sighs sadly.)

("I must thank you, Arashi-san. I always trusted that Tsunade-sama would get back to her feet, I had believed it, but I could never help her. She has never looked so alive before.")

* * *

A few days later, Itachi had went to get dango. And it didn't work out well.

"And how did this happen?" Arashi crosses his arms and raises a brow. Itachi did not shuffle his foot nervously because Uchiha didn't do that. 

"I'm sorry."

"It's not Tachi-nii's fault, hm." Deidara pipes up.

"I was just getting dango," Itachi says a bit guiltily. "I never actually went with Kisame because I had a- uh-"

"A scary, Uchiha S-Rank Nuke-Nin reputation to keep up with?" Karin pushes up her glasses, looking at Itachi in a sarcastic manner.

"Yes." Itachi nods almost professionally. "I was undercover as a Nuke-Nin. However, I failed to realise that I am _still_ undercover as a criminal- I had given into my urges today, it was a failure on my part. Sincerest apologies, it won't happen aga-"

"No." Arashi admonishes firmly, cutting off his formal report and Itachi looks at him with a mildly kicked puppy look, "I don't want to hear an apology-" the man breathes in deeply and Itachi squirmed a bit.

"-I want to hear how you got a godsfor- _saken_ _Sannin_ on the couch."

Arashi gestures wildly to the comatose form of _Orochimaru_.

* * *

"Listen here, you slimy, disgusting snake-man," Arashi hisses at Orochimaru's unconscious face, "once I peel this messed up cursed eradication seal off of you, I'm going to slap your slimy, disgusting snake-man face, you got it?" 

"Danna, what are you muttering about hm?" Deidara asks pushing aside Karin who was staring intently at Arashi's chakra strings that pulled and tugged at the seal.

"Go away Dei," Karin says, eyes not leaving the swift movements of Arashi's chakra. "It's seal stuff, you either watch and learn or you fuck off."

"Karin!" Itachi says horrified in the background.

"Karin's kind of right, Firecracker. But this type of Fuuinjutsu is sensitive... I'd prefer if neither of you watched me."

Right on cue, Itachi promptly walks in to drag the two complaining children out.

"Nooo, Dei, it's all your fault!"

"Chill, hm, your head looks like it's about to explode hm." After a beat, Deidara continues, "Actually that would b-"

Arashi forcibly tunes out of their conversation, refocusing on the Fuuin in front of him.

It was some twisted work- something between the seal Obito had had and Danzo's Zekka Konzetsu no In (Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal) that Danzo had- no scrap that, _is placing_ on children.

"It's my fault," Tsunade bites out, gripping what looks to be her fourth bottle of sake in a tight grasp and tentatively watching Orochimaru's condition. "Jiraiya and I had both left and Danzo had gotten Orochimaru all to himself, I should've-"

"No, Shimura Danzo shouldn't have been that 'ambitious' and the Hokage should have done something." Arashi snarls, because he didn't _want to_ think badly of him but had Sandaime done _anything_ other than be kind? Kindness was invaluable, but-

He thinks of 'leniency' in warfare and tries not to bark out with laughter.

Arashi recalls Kakashi telling him about Danzo's attempted assassinations on Sarutobi, Tenzo being ordered to steal Obito's Sharingan... then there was his collaboration with Orochimaru- like, there were fifty Sharingans inserted into Danzo's arm and Sarutobi hadn't even checked! Atrocity after atrocity caused and did- did he do anything?

"Orochimaru was always a bit wrong in the head after his parents' death." Tsunade narrows her eyes. "But Raiya 'n I always got him onto the good grounds, and we _left-_ And then- argh! Danzo, Danzo, Danzo, we should have _known better._ Konoha is known for their teamwork, my _arse._ The Legendary Sannin, my _arse._ The 'greatest shinobi team' borne from Konoha isn't even a _team_." 

Arashi doesn't respond, instead just presses his lips together in concentration. Orochimaru was a hero in the Second War, so Danzo's ROOT operation hadn't been as complicated and the Eradication Seal hadn't been in use. Orochimaru... he was probably a prototype, a failed one at that. Attempting to seal off emotions of the human brain, attaching the seal onto the very foundations of his chakra coils to ensure that it couldn't be removed- it was sick.

It was similar to Madara's Kinkoju no Fuda (Forbidden Individual Curse Tag) except messier, not just attached to the heart but all over the place.

"Some Village's ANBU have the seals that act upon their death. I figure this was probably the bastardised version of their Ura Shishou." Arashi says instead because he 'hadn't met' Obito or Madara yet so he couldn't call it a Juin baselessly.

"Double Tetragram Seal? Shit. I didn't know _that_ could be bastardised. Danzo really exceeds expectations, doesn't he?" She spits.

"Yeah." Arashi pauses, trying to string the information into a comprehendible sentence. "It was also attached to his Gates and messed up his Spiritual Chakra. If I removed the seal the normal way, it would activate and Orochimaru would die and we would be sealed with him."

He eyes the large seal on Orochimaru's back, each matrix linked deeply into many Gates: the Life Gate... the Harm Gate... the Death Gate... and sighed, once again, sharpening his string of chakra until it was drawn taught and thin, and wedged it under the chakra marking, severing the thin layer that was attached to it and prying it off gently. After this operation, he feels as though he could apply for the occupation of a surgeon and pass with flying colours.

"Usually to take off seals, you find the weak point, send chakra throughout it and burnt it off." Arashi flexes his fingers again. 

"And for this, you're..." She leans over, eyes scanning expertly over Arashi's work. "...cutting off the ends of the nerves and chakra coils attached to it." She gives a half-hearted whistle. "That takes some dexterity, Red."

"Well, if I so much as touch the seal, it might realise that I've been prying it off and blow up. And that's another thing too." Arashi groans, "Danzo's chakra was also somehow sealed into it. Kind of like Orochimaru's Juin in the way that it fucks up brains and since Orochimaru was already on the verge of insanity, it split into a separate personality. Danzo's chakra spirit merged with Orochimaru's fucked up persona and took control or overpowered his body... however that works. I'm not a Yamanaka, I don't get mind stuff."

"But that could work in our favour," Tsunade ponders, "If we destroy and seal off the effected part, Orochimaru will be his normal self. Maybe." 

"Obasan," Arashi starts quietly, hands and chakra strings redrawing from Orochimaru's prone form. "Even if I do that, he... won't be able to fight after this. His nerves are completely fried, his chakra coils had been deteriorating horribly- whatever ends I had cut off with my chakra strings were already dying. Worst case scenario: when Orochimaru wakes up, he'll be in indescribable amounts of pain. If that happens, I'll kill him." Arashi looks up into the brown orbs of Tsunade's eyes, dead serious. "Believe me when I say I don't do shit like this but I'm serious when I tell you it'll be mercy."

"I know, brat, I'm a Med-Nin. I know fully well what those conditions imply." She exhales loudly and closes her eyes, looking exhausted before they snap open seconds later. "So if I put him in an induced coma then heal him and his half dying body, he'll be fine, won't he?" Tsunade stares back just as ferociously. "Once abandoned, I'll guilt. Twice abandoned and I have no right to call myself a Sannin. Bring it."

* * *

Shizune sat on the floor, leaning her head back against the door-

_"But Tsunade-sama-"_

_"No Shizune, this is out of your league."_

She had never felt so _helpless._ Shizune was always the one to patch up Tsunade's holes, Shizune was _always there,_ but...

Dying nerves, eroded chakra coils... she was useless in the face of those basically untreatable conditions. But Tsunade was the best Med-Nin in the Five Nations, she could do it...

Even though the sight of blood gives her PTSD.

(Shizune could only hope that whatever talk she had had with Arashi-san could push her to persevere.)

* * *

Tsunade stuck a finger in her mouth, pulsing a violent wave of chakra into her throat and-

"Heur- _urgh_ ," She threw up the sake she had been drinking the entire day, though she knew it wouldn't do much, even hints of drowsiness could ruin the operation.

_"You need to look through all Eight Gates, the main deterioration is centred around the second, third, fourth and eighth one but it travels across his most of his body."_

All Eight Gates... even an entire team of elite Med-Nin had trouble with regrowing and healing one or two. As for the method, the best way was the simplest way: she would have to sever the harmed coils then regenerate them in the correct way. To control the growth to cellular levels... only Tsunade had that chakra control.

To heal all Eight Gates in the easiest and safest way possible was to pass down her Mitotic Regeneration and activate her Byakugo, thus using her life force. 

And then after fixing his chakra, Orochimaru's nerves should start to slowly fix itself up with his Heal Gate flowing with unadulterated chakra and she could use the refined and upgraded version of the Shosen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique) to speed up the process, removing the already dead or too damaged cells beforehand...

After being presented such an obstacle, Tsunade would usually dismiss it, then rub at her temples and holler at Shizune for some sake but right now, it wasn't just guilt, duty or regret fuelling her motive, it was comradery and something that's deeper than _mere_ 'friends'.

It was Team. And as a teammate, she couldn't let him down, especially not when she already had.

'This is for Team.' Tsunade straightens her shoulders and wipes her mouth, flexing each finger and cracking each bone. A thin layer of summoned Suiton covers her hands as she completely sanitises them.

With a chakra scalpel, she draws a thin line down Orochimaru's right arm and was distantly surprised that her hands didn't tremble even at the sight of blood because-

This wasn't the blood of someone dying. 

This was the blood of someone who she could _heal._

She closes her eyes and breathes, swallowing whatever knee-jerk reaction she has to the red fluid. She lifts her hands away from the makeshift operation table when she could feel the twitching of her fingers, if it weren't for the chakra still running through her hands, she would've grasped at her neck for the coil of string- Ojii-sama's necklace- but it wasn't there anymore. And ah, that's right.

It was with Arashi.

Tsunade can already feel the heat building behind her eyes, the automatic clenching of her teeth at the dark liquid, memories surface involuntarily but instead of panicking and unavailingly pushing them aside like she always had, she...

She accepts it. 

Accepts the undeniable feeling of sadness, of longing, washing over her. She sees their bodies, their corpses. She sees the blood that flowed over her fingers- she was trembling then, she vaguely recalls, trembling so hard that her Iryo Ninjutsu didn't come smoothly.

She exhales through the voices that she knows isn't corporeal, she inhales to push away the phantom rain that she knows is not dripping down her face like it had on the events on that day.

It wasn't that day. She wasn't there.

She then thinks of the other dark crimson colour, the one shades away from her grandmother and only a hue darker than Kushina's. The same blood red colour- except it didn't terrify her. That man with the vibrant red hair was just as afraid, just as precarious and yet his voice didn't waver, his hands didn't quake, the only thing that looked vulnerable to her was his grievous eyes. And even then, to Tsunade, he looked about the epitome of unwavering courage and strength.

Thinking of Dan, thinking of Nawaki and then thinking of Arashi, she opens her eyes and breathes again.

All of a sudden, blood doesn't seem that terrifying. It didn't hinder her now, it was her drive.

Senju Tsunade was a the world's greatest Med-Nin and kunoichi but before all that, she was a Legendary Sannin, the Slug Princess of Konoha's most infamous trio- and that meant being a teammate of Jiraiya and Orochimaru. 

Tsunade will live up to her name, her identity. (Her Team.)

Believe it.

(She is a human with legendary powers, not a legend who could create miracles. And if being a human was disappointing to others, then those people could fuck themselves.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'believe it' is a reference to naruto lmao obviously,  
> and yes i just made arashi and orochimaru b the one to slap sense into tsunade. unfortunately, naruto wont be the one to do it oop
> 
> welp, if u have complaints- i do too soooo 
> 
> this was meant to be in the last chapter damn it. i wanted to end w 'believe it' but nooooooo things just have to b this way, god. im gonna b nearly finished w the story before he even gets to konoha god damn it.
> 
> sometimes i know i have to do chapter consistency. but then i go, why not skip five years ahead :D jk
> 
> if u can b bothered reading this, can y'all gimme preferences on how arashi's gonna get to konoha/meet konoha ppl
> 
> cuz after the last of akatsuki is ded, arashi is comin for dem ahahah  
> (Believe me, that'll be in like, ten chapters :0)


	15. there are clouds on the horizon (a storm is stirring)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> orochimaru wakes up.
> 
> and a lot of this is just filler :D and relationship development. watch me make deidara and itachi best friends :D
> 
> also dont question the time line, deidara is nearly thirteen now :D which makes konoha 11 (+sasuke) ages: 10-12... i think  
> ~~time flies by when arashi's being crazy :) yeah?~~  
> edit: i just realised that i forgot the chapter title... ignore that for the moment, teehee  
> ok-im-back-edit: so yeah, the only thing important in this chapter is the fact that arashi is leaving to do something. hence the title.  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyway, someone from konoha (being extremely vague on purpose) is coming soon :D veryyyyyy soon and u wont know who ahahahhasjgnkejngewjf
> 
> edit: honestly i love making deidara butcher everyone's name/title- ita-nii or tachi-nii? and omg, wait for tsunade and orochimaru's ahahhah im having too much fun w it

When Orochimaru wakes up-

_Wait,_ Orochimaru _woke up._

With a burst of movement, he grabs the nearest sharp object he could find- a pair of suture scissors (huh, it reminds him of Tsunade with the adjusted grip and perfectly sharpened state) and, ignoring the tense movements of the ones around him, he pointed the tiny sharp end at his throat.

If he reinforces his arm with chakra and extended the blades with Fuuton, he could instantly kill himself and _Him_ in one fell swoop. Finally! He was _finally_ lucid from those aggravating mind games. Orochimaru was _not_ one to be controlled.

Chakra fluctuates and pure white Fuuton chakra slides down the small blade and with a swift movement, he- his action were casually halted and-

"Who are you to be able to stop my movements?" Orochimaru rasps, heedless of his screaming throat. This person... was dangerous.

"Maa," His red hair shifts as the man tilted his head with a light hearted smile. "I go by Arashi." And from that tight lipped smile, this 'Arashi' knows damned well that that wasn't what Orochimaru was asking.

"Don't make me repeat myself." Orochimaru looks at the man, neutral and assessing. Tsunade hands him a cup of water and he accepts it with poise, afterall, even on the verge of dying, he had his reputation to maint-

"Tsunade?" Orochimaru half-yells, half-wheezes, only barely managing to save the water that flew out of the cup. Ok, his reputation just got damned thrice over. 

"Mobility?"

"Fine." Orochimaru automatically replies to her professional tone, flexing each muscle.

"Chakra?"

"Stable."

"Sanity?"

"Questionable." He responds reflexively before registering the strange question. And... right. He was lucid right now. With that thought, he swings his head over to her, "Tsunade, I don't know what you're doing here but I want you to kill me."

"Sure," Tsunade smiles mirthlessly before crashing a fist over his head. "I'll kill you for suggesting that after my twenty hour operation. Fucker."

"Tsunade-hime!" Itachi calls exasperatedly from what seemed like the room from their left. "Karin and Deidara can hear you!"

"I've heard worse, _Mom._ " Deidara's voice drones back.

"Twenty hour? What do you mean operation- wait, Uchiha Itachi? And Deidara as in Iwagakure's Deidara?" Orochimaru inwardly cringes. Did Tsunade destroy parts of his brain? Because he was acting about as dignified as Jiraiya's infant toads.

"No matter, I'll get my answers later," He takes a sip of water. "Tsunade, I want you to ki-"

"Be- _fore,_ Obasan punches you again, I'll tell you that your seal was safely removed and Danzo's chakra spirit has been eliminated." The red head cuts in quickly, raising his hands in a placating manner.

"Immolated?" Orochimaru snaps out suspiciously because he couldn't take chances. "Set on fire?" He repeats in case the man in front of him wasn't well educated.

"Better," He smirks with an unsettling edge of glee, "Uzumaki Fuuin- sealed into a pocket dimension before I summoned oceans amount of Suiton into it then ran a million volts worth of pure Raiton chakra through it until the water completely evaporated. My hands is quite numb because of it actually."

"I Amaterasu-ed the remains." Itachi pipes in quietly, sliding the door open to peer inside. There was a certain vindictive glint in his eyes- well _eye,_ because one of them was bandaged up.

"Itachi!" Tsunade whirls to face him. "That's right! I hadn't had the time to properly lecture you about Mangekyo yet, have I?"

"Tsunade-hime, you've already-"

"Arashi-nii!" A red haired girl slams the door completely open then stomps over to the older red head. "I thought you said you weren't proficient in Raiton!"

In the short, tiny split second of pause, Orochimaru attempts to take control of this bizarre conversation.

"Arashi, was it?" Orochimaru asks coolly. "Intention?"

"Passive."

"Relation to Tsunade?" Because- _obasan?_

"We've met for about a week." Tsunade swiftly finishes packing the med kit. "He's an Uzumaki, he and that girl, and claims that it's close enough."

Orochimaru opens his mouth to respond to that then dropped it and turned back to the redhead. "Affiliation?"

"None." Arashi beams. "Wandering civilian." 

"Is this... an inside joke?" Orochimaru says as eloquently as he could, eyeing Tsunade's rolling of eyes, the girl's exasperate sigh and Itachi's raising of eyebrows. 

"Not a joke hm!" A blonde boy strolls in- and oh Hakuja Sennin, it really was Iwagakure's S-Rank Deidara.

"Danna's dream is to become a civilian." The boy nods solemnly but his eyes betray the amusement he was holding back. "And we never laugh at dreams."

Orochimaru lays back down, closing his eyes.

"This," He intones, sounding detached, "is a very vivid dream." Orochimaru decides that Tsunade must have drugged him up to the gills because he would never act this unbecoming.

"Orochimaru..." Tsunade shakes her fist at his mock slumbering figure even though they all knew that he was wide awake. "How dare he undermine the fruits of my effort?"

"How did he even get here in the first place?" Karin frowns. 

"Oh, did Deidara not tell you?" Itachi looks blankly at Orochimaru. "I didn't think he'd approach me again after his first failed attempt on getting the Sharingan, but a while ago, Orochimaru attacked Deidara and I. He seemed insane so I thought Arashi-san could fix him."

"Ex- _cuse_ me? What does insanity have to do with me?" Arashi gasps.

"But you really did fix him in the end," Karin points out, pushing her glasses up. "Tsunade-sama, what exactly happened to Orochimaru?"

Deidara plops down next to the makeshift surgery room, and looks up at the other blonde woman expectantly. "I thought he was evil hm. Kazama-danna let me blow up his place."

"Yeah, it looked very homey," Arashi sneers, "With disfigured babies and rotting corpses."

"So that was you!" Orochimaru sits up suddenly before he gritted back a groan from vertigo. "Well to be fair, _I_ did want it blown up."

"Well, yeah, you don't do rotting corpses, for one." Tsunade points out, "You always had a thing with cleanliness."

"That's correct." The Sannin huffs indignantly. "I thought someone as surreptitious as Danzo would at least know that liquified corpses aren't something you should keep around."

"That... wasn't the point." Arashi sighs.

"He.." Tsunade looks at Orochimaru for permission and in response, he laid back down and rested his arms across his chest like one would do with a dead body prior to a funeral.

Tsunade rolls her eyes. "Orochimaru was not liked as a child." She then furrows her brows, biting her (sanitised) thumb nail. "He was particularly... ambitious, you could say, on immortality and the such after his parents' death. Sensei had told Jiraiya and I that he'd found a white snake near his parents' grave and he had told Orochimaru that it represented fortune and rebirth."

"Rebirth." Itachi nods. "Ouroboros."

"Immortality... and that inspired Orochimaru to obtain the knowledge of all." Arashi nods.

"Sometimes through human experiments, from what you said before," Karin looked irked. "Ignoring his morals."

"And making him look for Kinjutsu, curious like how I was hm." Deidara nods comprehendingly before he halts. "But I'm not creepy like him, don't worry hm."

"Eh," Tsunade waves her hand. "Kinda-"

"Tsunade, I am astonished and greatly insulted that you didn't defend me." Orochimaru drones dramatically, eyes still closed.

"-He wasn't creepy and still had his morals. Before Danzo happened, he was just curious, that was all. He was very intelligent and a perfect shinobi-"

"Why thank you, hime."

"-Whenever his sadistic edge would come out, Jiraiya and I could both straighten him out. He was never... never _that_ bad."

"Then Jiraiya-sama left for his spy network." Itachi prompts.

"And I legally retired from the battlefield." Tsunade finishes grimly. "Leaving Orochimaru alone with his morally ambiguous nature and curiosity that goes too far. Red and I hypothesized that he joined, whether involuntarily or not, the ROOT operation- which is like a secret branch of Konoha's ANBU, don't tell anyone that, and Danzo pushed him to experiment on humans."

"Hm, good to see that the alcohol hadn't eroded your brain." Orochimaru cracks open an eye. "I was in ANBU then Danzo asked Sensei to transfer me to ROOT. Sensei thought that my... thirst for power would serve more effectively in ROOT."

"So I'm giving an intelligent guess and saying: the experiments were found and Orochimaru was used as scape-goat." Arashi concludes after Orochimaru refused to continue. "After being abandoned by Danzo, Orochimaru's seal deteriorated and Danzo's chakra had, I don't know how to explain it simply, clumped together?" Arashi tries very hard to condense the information into kid talk. "It turned into... almost like _another person._ And as the years grew by, he decided to find new... vessels... to inhabit to try and chase off the dying body that was gradually driving him into insanity. And thus, his moral compass completely spun out of control in the process."

"That's horrible." Karin covers her mouth with a hand. 

"Yes, child." Orochimaru sighs. "You'll come to realise that a lot in this shinobi world is so."

"This 'Danzo'," Deidara grimaces, "Why is he still in Konoha if he's such a dick? Wasn't he behind Ita-nii's..."

"Because-" Tsunade bares her teeth furiously before Orochimaru could reply, "-because Sarutobi was- _is_ too lenient. He thinks that everything Danzo is doing is for the good of Konoha. I'm not even going to start with everything wrong with that."

"Hindsight is 20/20," Itachi says sadly, "Hokage-sama was incompetent in handling many things... like our clan affairs."

Deidara jumps up indignantly, "Yeah! I mean who fucken' sees a little kid covered in their family's blood then goes: 'Oh no! The person who caused all this shit is my friend so let's blame the shit on this kid instead of my friend and send him off into a criminal organisation!' Like what the actual fuck hm?"

He vents as if he'd been holding back the words since Itachi explained the Uchiha Massacre. He probably had actually.

Itachi didn't even reprimand him for the vulgar language or his reference as 'kid'.

"Tachi-nii is a kid hm. What was he even thinking? Like jeez Hokage-old-shit-sama, I thought you were meant to be a good dude hm?"

"This 'Danzo' got away with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. I hate to say, Itachi-san, your Kage..." Karin tsked.

"It wouldn't do to say this in front of us two, little Uzumaki." Orochimaru speaks bemusedly. "You do realise that we're both his students, right?"

"Perfect hm!" Deidara cheers, missing the point. "You can pass on the message: 'Fuck off, old man.' From: Deidara the Magnificent and Karin-busu-chan... oh wait, is 'old shit' better or is 'old man' rude enough? Oh, but then what do I call Danzo?" He scratches his chin, actually musing over the derogatory names.

"Hmmm... ok, Hokage is old man and Danzo is old shit because they're both old but Danzo is more shit than the Hokage." Deidara nods confidently, patting himself on the back. "Hm."

"Deidara..." Itachi says and they all think that he was trying to go for a chiding tone but the soft expression on his face completely betrayed whatever scold Itachi was planning.

"Don't worry, Tachi-nii!" Deidara vengefully shakes a fist at him. "I'll protect you if that old-man-old-shit-combo is mean to you! Believe in my art hm!"

"So cute..." Arashi presses both palms against his cheeks from the sidelines while Itachi feebly attempts to push off a tiny, angry ball of Deidara. "I will so protect that..." He totally got how Jonin Senseis would always think that Genin teams were so adorable.

"If I brutally murder Danzo, will you tell on me?" Karin looks up at Arashi with wide eyes and a meek smile.

"I'll arrange it." Tsunade nods with resolve, patting Karin on the shoulder.

"We'd actually need to adjourn that." Karin strokes her chin contemplatively. "Tsunade-sama, you'll first need to teach me how to fight like the most badass kunoichi in the Five Great Nations. It wouldn't be a brutal murder if I was weaker than Danzo now, would it? I really want to be strong enough to punch assholes in the face."

"Oh, you know, Obasan is strong enough to be able to make craters using a single finger." Arashi gives a mischievous smile. "It says something about how powerful I am that I can call her Obasan and live to see daylight."

"I... I am _so_ going to be like that one day." Karin declares. Tsunade laughs but it wasn't derisive or sarcastic.

"I'll keep your word for it, Karin."

* * *

"Do you know what I've done, Tsunade?" Orochimaru gestures with his hands after the others had given them privacy- 'the secret Sannin talk' Arashi had eloquently dubbed. "Do you know?"

"Well, it wasn't _you_ who did it."

"I... Yes I did, Tsunade. I was a sociopath, sometimes I had my consciousness and I just didn't... care. Didn't bring up the energy to fight back." Orochimaru's brows draw together slightly. "It wasn't controlling me, it was like- like, _exposing_ what I really was like."

"It's not! You _were_ controlled and whether or not your curiosity proceeded your morals shouldn't have been in question in the first place. You felt guilty and you hadn't done it. End of story. It wasn't your fault that Danzo did that!" Tsunade throws her hands up. "You aren't invincible. You literally just got liberated from a seal after nearly an entire _day_ of full out surgery and you're just gonna- what? Kill yourself out of regret? What the fuck, Orochimaru?"

"I expected nothing less from you," Orochimaru rolls his eyes (elegantly though), "You want me to live 'just because', otherwise, it would get rid of all your hard work."

"I'm sorry." Tsunade says after a short pause.

"Tsunade, I was being sarcastic."

"No I meant, for leaving." She scrunches up her forehead. "Argh, I hate apologising-" At Orochimaru's snort (elegant, still), she tsked, "I mean it, it was stupid of me. I'm kinda mad at Sarutobi for not keeping us together, is that childish?"

"Childish? I'd say not. He is Hokage and yet he couldn't even wrestle his team together. But then again, we can't rely all on him now, can we? Sensei is..." Orochimaru pauses, "an old fool. Maybe it was _His_ influence or maybe it was myself thinking, but Sensei should've died on the Kyuubi day. Minato, as much as I voiced my dislike, would've been a better Hokage. It's merely a hypothesis but from my spies' information, Kushina and his child... is probably hated and feared for his status as a Jinchuuriki. I really doubt Sensei's competence in matters like that for example. Not anymore at least."

Tsunade shakes her head good-naturedly, "For all that people say you're cruel, you still call him Sensei. You don't blame him for your Nuke-Nin status. You don't call him out on Danzo's vile nature. I really question this society for putting me above you."

"And yet even that is a far stretch- no that wasn't a jab- Tsunade the 'Legendary Sucker'." Orochimaru sighs (elegantly). "As much as they had called us Legends, if we don't appear auspiciously like heaven-sends or dish out miracles like mythical deities do, they'll trample all over us."

"The higher you fly, the harder you fall." Tsunade quotes.

"Now, us supposed 'Legends' are just disappointments. Tsunade the Sucker, Jiraiya, a pervert, and I, lowered to the dishonourable status of Nuke-Nin. We're so much better than they are, stronger, smarter, wiser than they all are and yet, because we don't satiate their naïve and meticulous expectations, we might as well roll around in the mud like pigs and they won't see any difference."

"...Was that an insult to Tonton?"

* * *

_-Some other day-_

"Why are you here?" Orochimaru's voice halts Arashi in his tracks. 

'Do you think he knows?'

 **"The snake was always clever. Too clever... He might find out about me, find holes in your story..."** Kurama growls. **"But if he does, you can just kill him, no big deal-"**

'Brilliant advice as always.' Arashi mentally scoffs jokingly.

"Oh, how are you feeling, Orochimaru?" He turns to smile at him but it comes out like a baring of teeth. "Are you having any troubles?"

"Heh, don't dodge the question like that. But yes I'm feeling quite fine." Orochimaru flexes his hands. "Better than before. What's your purpose, Arashi? I'm assuming that you're that infamous new person that defeated Hidan and Kakuzu. The fact that you have Itachi, I'd say that you got Kisame too. You're also with Tsunade, so I can take a stab in the dark and say one of you got poisoned by Sasori."

"Deidara. He defeated him. I'm very proud."

"That child?" Orochimaru wears an expression of surprise before he composes himself. "The power of underestimation, huh... Stop avoiding my question. Defeating big names, collecting S-Ranks... what are you planning? Which Village are you going to attack?"

"Pardon?" Arashi pauses. "Of course I'm not going to attack any Village."

"Then what are you planning to do? Don't give me an excuse and say something along the lines of... you were saving the children and defeating the villains for the greater good."

"...Spot on."

"What."

* * *

_-A week later-_

"I'll be back-"

"Noooo, danna!" Deidara clings to Arashi's arm. "It's only been a week since Orochichi-jiisama woke up hm, what if his seal all of a sudden appears again? Besides, he and Tsuna-tuna-babasama won't be able to keep us in line, grrrr."

"I can't believe the audacity of this child..." Orochimaru places a delicate hand on his forehead. "Do I really look that old?"

"I can't believe he hadn't changed that disrespectful title even after punching him so many times." Tsunade says sadly, staring at her fist. "Am I losing my touch? Tsuna-tuna-babasama... gods forbid..."

"A week was more than the necessary amount of time to check for his recuperation, I'll be quick." Arashi sweat drops, ignoring the Sannins' mutters. "And I'm pretty sure that at a mature age of seven, you can be nice and obedient for Obasan and her... acquaintance."

"Danna... I'm turning thirteen in, like, a week hm."

"Oh right, my birthday is in less than two months actually." Karin raises her brows in surprise.

"Yeah, yeah, you're all big children now you should be fine without your precious Arashi-nii." He moves to leave but that menacing blonde boy-

"Nooooo-"

"Arashi-nii is getting rid of fuckwads, let him do his thing and lay off, Dei-baka-kun." Karin adjusts her glasses but her death grip on Arashi's lower arm says otherwise. Somehow, that nickname had solidified over the week.

"Arashi-san." Itachi hovers anxiously, somehow looking restless even without changing any of his facial features. "Allow me to succour you- I can be of assistance. Maybe... Probably not, actually." He looks down dejectedly.

"See, danna? Look!" Deidara releases Arashi's arm, in lieu, grabbing at Itachi's face by his cheeks. "You're making Ita-nii sad hm! How horrible!"

"Wow... the art of blackmailing." Orochimaru strokes his chin, impressed. "And here I thought that the children in this generation were growing softer."

"Hmph, you know nothing, Orochimaru." Tsunade harrumphs. "Over the weeks, I actually perfected his puppy dog face. Karin insisted that she would rather be strong enough to punch her enemies out of the water. I can't say I don't approve."

"Stop with the commentary, old trout, old snake." Arashi blows at the strand of hair that escaped the meticulous tugging of his ponytail, trying to ignore Deidara's right-on-cue wide eyed and slightly teary stare. 

"Old snake?" Orochimaru frowns (elegantly). "Can you not do better?"

"Red isn't very imaginative in insults." Tsunade deadpans.

"Arashi-san is very stupid." Itachi very helpfully provides. "First, he purposefully entered my Genjutsu, then, he insulted a Sannin continuously. And now, he's leaving Deidara and Karin all alone." Itachi somehow manages to look like a hurt, abandoned kitten despite _still_ not changing his expression. "I thought you would be less neglectful than that, Arashi-san."

"The snark." Tsunade continues to comment. "Didn't know he had it in him."

"And maintaining the politeness..." Orochimaru nods approvingly. "Double points."

"Oh my gods, you _kids."_ Arashi groans, ignoring the Sannin's insistent comments. He gave into the urge to ruffle Itachi's hair, ignoring his small yelp of 'I'm not a kid!' and effectively messing up his usual neat, prim and perfect appearance. "I'm pretty sure you said you didn't want a 'fake' me being here, but I'll leave a Bunshin if you want-"

"No!"

Arashi huffs, "I'll be a week, max. You should see how shinobi does things, taking entire months just to finish a mission, like jeez-"

"...Arashi, I don't quite understand how to respond to that statement." Orochimaru folds his hands into the sleeves of his newly bought, white kimono. "But I can assure you that shinobi don't purposefully dawdle on extended missions. Most peop- no one is quite like you."

"Oh thanks, I guess. And just because it's customary to do this before leaving... You." Arashi zooms into the Sannin and Orochimaru turns to face him calmly.

"Me."

"I know all is well and whatever but if by some impossible chance, leftover Danzo-ness controls you and you even _look_ at any of those children in a perverse manner, I will _gut you-"_

"Ryujin, I would be offended if I hadn't known the seal's influence," Orochimaru sneers, "Perverts and pedophiles are the lowlife vermin of this world. If I thought of any child like that, I would eviscerate myself."

"I approve." Arashi gives a stern nod.

"And besides," Tsunade slides back into the conversation. "I wouldn't let anything happen to your kids, yeah?"

"You can rely on us, Arashi-san." Shizune smiles and holds up Tonton, who gave a snort.

Arashi chuckled, "Ok, after the customary threat, I think I'm good to go."

"Stay safe, stay strong." Tsunade waves half-heartedly. "Though you don't really need me to tell you that..."

"I'll be going then." 

His smile turns strained when he fails to pry off Deidara and Karin's grip.

"I-I'll be going then-" With a rictus smile, he violently shakes off the two limpets. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT (ISH) NOTE:
> 
> its abt chakra capacity and how i screwed up. if u dont give a shit, move on :D
> 
> i was just watching naruto and sasuke beating the shit out of momoshiki then i realised that i fucked up parts of this fic. first of all:  
> in shippuden, before naruto went stupid powerful, kakashi said he had FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT he had and if kurama wasnt being sealed back HE WOULD HAVE 100 TIMES THE AMOUNT. wat the fuck.
> 
> kakashi already has a lot of chakra: being able to become S-Rank even tho his body wasnt supposed to be using the sharingan (it was draining his reserves) which means as a Hokage, kakashi would have a bit more than a usual Kage in reserves. (im guessing.)
> 
> that means that by the time they get to war, base naruto would have roughly five Kage worth of chakra (which is how much chakra that needs to power the time travel seal). then theres kurama which would be an additional 100 times the amount of chakra a kage would have (implied) AND THAT WAS ONLY ONE HALF OF KURAMA. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. 
> 
> naruto then got 100% of kurama's chakra. which makes 200 TIMES THE AMOUNT. now, since kurama could evenly fight the REST OF THE BIJUU and since the juubi was the 'progenitor' of chakra, kurama essentially has half of that.
> 
> what the fuck. 
> 
> that also means that sasuke would have almost the same amount because of indra's chakra (and itachi's sharingan but that hardly makes a difference in the ridiculous power scaling.) so that means all together, the two of them should have at least 400 times the amount of chakra a kage has ?????????? exCUSE ME? DID I MISS SOMETHING? IF I DID THEN TELL ME BECAUSE I AM SO CONFUSED. 
> 
> and thats before canon got off track. my fic was planned so that over the 7 month break, naruto got stronger. then the return of kaguya would push both of their chakra reserves to a limit. so, their reserves would grow with more battle. 
> 
> \--- i edited the first chapter to say that naruto and sasuke fought kaguya for weeks at a time without rest ---  
> and in fourth shinobi war, the two fought for around three-four days nonstop then ran out of chakra. so essentially, i changed the plot to make it that-
> 
> 1 ever since the return of kaguya, naruto and sasuke hadnt have proper rest. (nearly 6 years)  
> 2 right before the time travel seal, kurama was drained so the reason for his silence was because he was collecting chakra. because he was essentially MADE of natural energy, im going to say that he gathered around two kage worth of chakra.  
> 3 everyone had died and sasuke was there for it. he would have tried to prevent it- and thus, it means that he has basically no chakra.  
> 4 naruto was somehow unwillingly knocked out before he found out abt everyone's deaths which means HE must've had no chakra too  
> 5 sasuke transported them both into another dimension, completed the seal and told kurama to gather chakra while naruto was unconscious. sasuke LOSES chakra and naruto GAINS chakra thru rest + kurama GAINS chakra.
> 
> 6 so thats why naruto didnt suffer from FATAL chakra exhaustion and kurama wasnt in a century long sleep.  
> 7 ALSO THE REASON WHY NARUTO THINKS SASUKE IS DEAD AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
> 
> WATCH HOW I MAKE SURE SASUKE'S POV IS AS PAINFUL AS POSSIBLE MWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA (lol dont take my word for it, i might never do a sasuke pov) 
> 
> ...
> 
> MWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA


	16. raindrops fall (a windstorm blows by)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i cant summarise this chapter.
> 
> actually i can: complete shitfest
> 
> IF UR CONFUSED ABT THE FIFTY BILLION FLASHBACKS, COMMENT. IT'S THERE FOR A REASON PEOPLE.  
> IF U FIND PLOT HOLES- TELL ME, BITCH. SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE CUZ IM STUPID, SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE INTENTIONAL.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all, i changed the 'three month peace' period (after the canon fourth war) to seven months cuz three is too little. which alllllllllllllsssssssssssssooooooooooooo means that EVERYONE'S age is +1
> 
> rundown on ages again (i'll be going back to edit it lmao im so inconsistent.)  
> arashi fam:  
> arashi: 24 turning 25 (nearrllyy 18 when kaguya was revived + nearrlyyyy 6 years + 1 year at uzushio = 24)  
> deidara: 12 turning 13  
> karin: 10 turning 11  
> itachi: 15 (yeah i mucked up last time)  
> tsunade: old (47)  
> shizune: dont rly care
> 
> konoha:  
> kakashi: 24  
> rookie 9: 10-11 (one year from graduation)  
> team gai: 12 
> 
> did i mess anything up? yet again? sighs. i have to do so much maths for this it aint even funny. i swear to god if someone looked at my work and i missed an edit...  
> if ur mad at how unprepared i was. fight me.
> 
> im honestly writing more in the notes section than in the actual god damned chapter. fuck me.

_-Amegakure-_

"Why?" Arashi groans, as he downs the last Path. He tears through the place as if the pipes weren't made of steel and he storms up to where he had felt Nagato and Konan's chakra. "For god's sake Nagato, let me fucking talk!"

"There is nothing to talk about." Nagato intones. "Konan had sensed your strength, if you aren't here to be recruited, then you are here in attempt to defeat us. I do not understand why you defy me."

He shifts his head so both Rinnegan eyes were looking at him. "In order to create peace, everyone must suffer the same pain. That is the decree I will bestow upon the world. There is nothing you can say to deny the words of God."

Arashi had planned to very passively explain the hundred reasons why he should stop but then he instinctively snarls at that word uttered so self-assuredly- so confidently. 

"God, you say?"

_"Small and weak... like little insects." They had never seen sadistic amusement in the regal eyes of Kaguya before but here it was in all the ways that they hated it. (Feared it.)_

_"Persistent ones, that is. Cockroaches, are they called?" At Kaguya's bemused nod, the other one purrs. "Yes, yes, like those! To us, you are just like those cockroaches- scuttling around so tenaciously but in the end... you are merely that. An insect. There's nothing you can do to deny that Ka'ya-neechan and I..."_

_Otsutsuki Hakone shrieks with laughter, his black sclera eyes tearing up from maniac mirth. The man scratches a hand down his face but with the amount of pressure he used, it tore right through his flaking skin. The Edo Tensei celestial's skin wove back together instantly._

_"We're_ Gods _compared to you."_

_That was the last thing he had said before-_

"You don't say that word, _Uzumaki Nagato_." He says to both ground himself from the memories and to remind himself that Nagato was good, was redeemable... Arashi tries not to hiss but it comes out like a sneer anyway. "You have no idea how much it angers me."

For a moment, Nagato stops and just stares at him, reading him.

With a violent yank, the black rods upon his back snapped. Konan gasps, "Nagato, why? The Gedo Mazo..."

"Quiet, Konan." Nagato hushes while pulling out the long metal pieces. Konan wordlessly supported his frail figure as they slowly walked towards Arashi. Both wary and curious, he let them approach him, watching as Nagato's flesh slowly rounded out- a quick recovery from the burden of supporting the Ten Tails' husk.

"You deny my presence despite the implications my eyes carry." Nagato murmurs. "Jiraiya-sensei had entrusted me with a task and only someone who can become the God of this shinobi world would be able to complete it."

'That's... Yahiko's words...'

**"...twisted into something malicious."**

With a single light touch on his shoulder, the King of Hell arises behind the pair. Arashi could feel his chakra binding itself to the looming object.

"Tell me, who are you? What is your intention?"

"What are you..." When the penny drops, Arashi grins. This was perfect. He was so stupid for not suggesting this before. He had thought of the Human Path but that ability would kill him in the process so he had dismissed the idea all together.

**"You're getting stupid, Arashi."**

'I know,' He groans, 'This makes everything so much easier.'

 **"Just make sure you don't run your mouth."** Kurama narrows his eyes. 

"I hate using this title to get about my way but I was the Child of the Prophecy that E- J-Jiraiya-sensei was talking about. Or well... used to be. Uzumaki ~~Naruto~~ is the Child of the Prophecy but I've forsaken that identity now..."

"As for intention, I came from the future-" Arashi continues as the other two jerk in surprise, eyes darting to the King of Hell, "-and I'm here to stop Akatsuki's plans. Zetsu is the mastermind who manipulated you, Tobi and Madara. He is actually the will incarnate of the Sage of Six Path's tyrannical mother, Otsutsuki Kaguya and he was the one who threw the shinobi world into war." He carefully forms. "The actions of his manipulations lead to his mother's awakening. And oh, that masked man? He's not Madara- his name is Uchiha Obito, or Tobi, whatever. He will betray you then Zetsu and Madara will betray Tobi, then Zetsu will betray Madara- Gosh, I never realised how many betrayals there were..."

Arashi bit his tongue, wishing to the Sages that Nagato would drop it at that.

"So you know of my plan..."

**"Fuck."** 'Fuck.'

"What of it?" Nagato eyes Arashi's carefully held expression with caution.

'Should I run? Cancel the technique?'

**"That's even more suspicious."**

"Your plan leads to the reincarnation of Kaguya." He replies instead, resisting the urge to bite his lip.

"But before that?"

"Your plan was prevented." _But it didn't fail._

It, ironically, had worked and if it wasn't for Zetsu's cunning then Kaguya wouldn't have happened and Nagato would've... Pain would've completed his life goal. With the Uzumaki heritage, his Rinnegan and the Bijuu, he would successfully become the most powerful person. Attacking each village with a Bijuu... the Gokage would have to meet in a truce if they would want to stand against Pain.

(Like they had in the war.)

Nagato hadn't planned to create the Infinite Tsukuyomi and if Zetsu and Tobi were eliminated, his goal would've been fulfilled with little to no hindrances. 

Arashi freezes as he slowly realises that he couldn't answer that question in a roundabout way anymore. There was one answer. Shitshitshit- that one answer was that Nagato's plan _had worked_ and since he couldn't lie- Nagato could just use that information... What the- what the fuck was he going to do-

"Tell me," Nagato repeats monotonously, "you know of my plan. Disregarding external interruptions, would it work?"

Fuck... fuckfuck _fuck-_

Arashi could feel the horror building up in him and if it wasn't for his experiences, he would've broken down right then and there. He knows that his raging thoughts and cartwheeling heartrate won't be betrayed by his facial expression.

Arashi tells himself to _breathe_ because he wouldn't have to kill Nagato, will he? Of course he won't have to. He didn't have to last time, it's not- how could it-

The grip on Arashi's shoulder, though still bony and malnourished, suddenly felt a lot more intimidating. Truly the Uzumaki vitality- only his clansmen would be able to produce such strength when severely drained of chakra and nutrients.

"Do not make me repeat myself once more." And _fuck,_ Nagato was in complete control of the conversation.

"Your actions lead to global devastation." He responds, words dry in his mouth as he desperately stalls for the imminent.

"Does my plan contribute to lasting peace?" 

Arashi could feel Kurama shift and sigh inside the mindscape, **"Don't falter."**

"...Yes, but-"

Nagato drops his hand and the King of Hell disappears. He backs away, Konan still supporting his weight. "Hm, that is all I will inquire, though I can't say I'm surprised. For I am God, my plan-"

"Your what? Your plan would never fail because of your self erected title?" Arashi's voice sounds acidic but he only feels desperate. "It won't- it'll never work like that. It never works out right. From Before- in _my life,_ you changed, Nagato. Sibling student. Uzumaki. _Cousin_. You put trust into me, into ~~Naruto~~ and-" _and Arashi didn't know how to speak like ~~Naruto~~ anymore. _

"Peace was obtained. Sure it might've started through a similar enemy, but that was just the start of it. Forcing people to work together _isn't what peace is._ Peace was... peace was obtained through comradery..." Arashi trails off.

How will this work out? ~~Naruto~~ was gone and instead he was _Arashi-_ the soldier unwillingly borne from years of death, plots and daily, coldblooded killings. (Daily? Who was he kidding? When times called for it, he had slaughtered dozens in mere seconds.) He didn't know how to inspire people, he didn't know how to change them to be better anymore.

All he knew now was how to eliminate danger in the most efficient way.

"But that war isn't going to happen now, will it?" Nagato almost looks sympathetic as he faces him, shaking his head. "You're preventing it from happening."

"Well, if you aren't going to stop your plan then there still _is_ going to be a war!" Arashi sounds _pathetic_ and he is really getting tired of feeling like it.

"There won't be a war because I am God, there is no one who can stand against me."

**"Is he _still_ spewing that madness?" **

Arashi vehemently agrees as he sputters, "Um? Excuse me?"

Ino's sarcasm cloaks his voice like an old friend. "Did you really say that after I beat in your Six Paths in less than, what, a dozen minutes?"

"You are a mere exception, no one else in this world can stand against me. I will become the event that kick starts the journey to peace. No one else in this world could stand against me alone... they will be forced to join hands in order to save themselves from massacre- in order to save themselves from more pain."

Arashi hates how much of a hypocrite he's become.

(Because even though he was still against it, he gets where Nagato was going.)

"Once your loved ones have passed and whatever hope you cling onto that makes you defy my plan is destroyed... When that time arrives, you will come to realise that this world cannot obtain peace through pacifistic means." The voice digs and grates at Arashi's ears.

"You will suffer the same pain as me." Nagato- no, _Pain_ tilts his chin almost challengingly and Arashi could feel a part of him, deep within the recesses of his mind... let go.

"And when that time comes," Pain looks at Arashi, "you will stand by my side."

_"-believe in you."_

_"-give up on-"_

_" ~~Naruto,~~ " There's too much blood to see the shinobi's face, "I believe in you. You must win this war."_

_"Hokage. You are going to be Hokage. You won't fail until you become Hokage."_

_"We believe in you, ~~Naruto~~."_

_" ~~Naruto~~ ," Sakura faces him with a neutral,_ _cold and_ wrong _expression of professionalism. "Kakashi-sensei named you 'Rokudaime'."_

_"What..." He turns to face Sakura, "What do you-"_

_"Sensei is dead."_

_"Rokudaime!" Not Rokudaime. "Hokage-sama!" That's Kakashi-sensei. "Rokudaime-sama!"_

_It's NOT ME- not me..._

_"Report."_

_"The scouting team committed suicide."_

_"...Which Team?"_

_The shinobi hesitates,_

_"Team 8, Hokage-sama."_

_"Rokudaime-sama will defeat you. I am willing to_ die _for it!"_

_"Hokage-sama will never fall to the likes of you!"_

_"-We're_ Gods _compared to you."_

_"Heed my words!" The deity snaps his fingers-_

_(There are thousands of bodies, littering the ground... as abundant as the blades of grass that used to coat this expanse of earth.)_

"Suffer the same-" Arashi chokes, sardonic laughter bubbles at the base of his throat like a tentative volcano and-

"HAH!"

Konan violently jolts at the loud, wild bark that tore out of his throat.

"We will never 'suffer the same pain' because I won't let that happen!" 

Arashi throws his hands up angrily. "You want to know fucking pain? Back in my world, where I come from? Asides from a homicidal chakra goddess, Zetsu, Hashirama-cell powered mindless soldiers and brain washed _dead people,_ there were only _two_ survivors! Two survivors!"

His nails draw blood as his fists tighten by his side.

"Across all the Nations, all the smaller villages- in this _entire world_ full of people- there were only _two people left._ "

Arashi forges on, feeling more and more detached to his surroundings as the words spew out like a broken dam, hysteria tinging his voice as he continues, "One of them, my _best friend,_ my _Team,_ my _lover_ sacrificed himself for me, and the other survivor _travelled back in fucking time_ so that no one; no civilian, no shinobi, no criminal and not even _you_ will have to suffer that same fucking _pain_."

_The dark eyes had never carried such grief before. "No one."_

"-The 'pain' of living through a global annihilation and watching as a life-filled world turns into complete desolation. The 'pain' of coming to realise that _no one was even alive_ to see the flattened, razed earth that we had once called our homes because they were all gone. Dead. _S_ _avagely killed-_ One. By. One."

_"No, I meant, there's no one left to watch."_

"And you-"

He laughs again and it's a twisted sound that comes out forced and strained through the lump in his throat. "You have the _audacity-_ "

Arashi runs a hand over his mask, pushing it to the side of his head. He cards the same hand through his hair until it becomes dishevelled. He could feel the boiling energy that is Kurama's like-minded fury, simmering just under his skin. 

After about a minute of tense silence- Arashi calming the darkening storm in his mind, the hand drops from where it was abusing his scalp.

"That other person- the other survivor? That person is _me._ " Arashi puts lightly. "So if you want to know pain, then feel free to swap positions because I really do _not_ want to be the last person alive in my world."

There is a long, deafening silence before...

Pain starts speaking. Unwise of him.

"I can see it now..." Pain tilts his head so both of his mesmerising eyes were piercing holes into his face. "What you just said made me realise that-"

"-You don't want peace anymore."

Suddenly whatever thoughts he had had about the war vanished, pushed aside by a jovial, almost childishly mischievous grin. The dripping of half a blue popsicle. A solemn voice with saddened eyes.

_"Even I understand that the hatred is spreading in the world of shinobi."_

Arashi immediately opens his mouth to refute- of course he wants peace! This cycle of hatred... cannot... 

'Ero-Sennin...'

"Not being able to shoulder your pain- if I killed your friends, you would kill me." Pain continues, achingly aware of Arashi's anger, denial and...

"You do not long for peace as you cannot overcome your pain. You are awfully powerful to have persevered yet even someone as powerful as you cannot bear such burdens. Your first and most important priority is to protect your loved ones- which I understand. It's noble, it's just. But justice is yet another thing that causes hatred among the world."

"You're saying that like you're any better." Arashi scoffs derisively, entire body tense at the _truth_ in Pain's words. "Killing innocents and setting up a plan for oppression and terrorisation in the name of 'peace'- don't you think that would cause more hatred than protecting your loved ones ever could? Your plan put in uglier words is just tearing the world apart and forcing the others to pull it back together. You might as well kill everybody so they'll 'obtain peace' once they understand what death is like. I've never seen something so delusional- so disgusting before." He lashes out defensively.

His mind is screaming at him to _'tone it down!'_ because he doesn't want to kill Nagato.

(When had his 'wants' ever been fulfilled? This Pain, that man, needs to die.)

"You didn't deny it."Pain concludes harshly. "You _cannot overcome your pain._ You would do anything for the sake of your loved ones. Even if it could disrupt peace."

Arashi _hates_ what Pain is saying (he hates himself more for agreeing).

"My peace may not be quixotic or romantic, but it's peace all the same. What can you say about it?"

'Nothing,' Arashi _knows_ and the words hurt, 'it's true.'

"You who couldn't answer anything- can't do anything."

(Repeating the same words that Arashi _knows_ will haunt whatever little sleep he'll get after this.)

Pain's eyes are unwavering. The same words- mocking him, taunting him, challenging him. But this time, Arashi couldn't call upon his old self (the ~~Naruto~~ in him- if there even is any) to deny the words.

"You want to prevent my plan, yet you make no move to create peace." Pain continues, each word jarring yet just as bitingly honest as the last. "As long as mankind continues to exist, so will hatred. Villages, shinobi, even civilians... They will continue to destroy each other, and yet you make no move to stop it. Instead, the only thing you'd _really_ fight for... is your friends, is it not? If I killed them..."

It had taken every last dredge of ~~Naruto's~~ will and Ero-Sennin's legacy grounding him to forgive Nagato last time. And if someone dared to harm one of his then-

"You would want revenge, wouldn't you?"

The same words- the same _bloody words,_ but now he couldn't deny them.

Before, he was strong.

Strong enough to carry other's burdens so they'd be willing to forgive each other. Strong enough to become the bridge between two opposing sides. Strong enough to hold together the ridges of each precarious treaty.

_"I'm the only one who can handle all your hatred."_

~~Naruto~~ was strong enough to say that. And... Arashi isn't.

_"I wanted to do something about it... but I don't know what."_ Jiraiya's helpless yet hopeful smile only served to greaten the guilt. 

"You can't weather that storm-" Pain's voice was soft, "-not anymore, can you?"

And Arashi was so- 

'-sorry, Ero-Sennin but-'

_"If I can't find the answer, it will be up to you to do it!"_

"I can't-"

These were the same words he had said to Sasuke and why can't he do _anything right?_ He couldn't even hold onto and fulfil his Godfather's last wishes, dreams and hopes.

_"If I can't find the answer,"_ The same words ring over and over, bouncing incessantly in his head, _"It will be up to you to do it!"_

'I'm sorry.' 

"You understand." Pain's voice intruded upon him and _why does he keep talking-_ "What Jiraiya-sensei was talking about was nothing more than old-fashioned idealism. Reality is far too different. You're just like me, you know what reality is really like and you don't believe in Jiraiya-sensei's nonsense." The sound of his voice- understanding, knowing and _pitying,_ enraged him to no end.

_"I believe that one day, people will truly be able to understand one another."_

'I'm sorry.'

"I can't- I couldn't- who could? Didn't you listen to what I said? What happened? Did you even know what you did? You-"

Suddenly, whatever boxed up resentment he had held- maybe from this life, maybe from Before- came pouring out.

"You don't know _anything_ about what happened before, how much I had to go through because of you! You killed Ero-Sennin- you killed Jiraiya, my _Godfather_ \- that's your Sensei! The one that saved you and cared for you and you killed him without remorse. You killed Kakashi-sensei, you killed loyal shinobi, kind civilians- you _devastated my Village_ and hundreds had died. You might've used Rinne Tensei, sure but-" He exhales harshly.

"But it was just _that close._ I'm not going to let you kill them and then forgive you just so that you'll revive them. Obviously I'm going to stop you first! That idealism of saving everyone... Of course I can't 'overcome' that fucking 'pain' again. Of course I can't-" Arashi takes a panicked inhale.

_"I'm really glad I took you as my student."_

The love in his voice, the confidence that he had had in ~~Naruto~~.

 _(_ _Jiraiya smiles at him.)_

'I'm sorry.'

_(The smile fades away.)_

Arashi can only pull so much strength to look into Pain's twin purple eyes.

"Of course I can't _fucking let that happen again!"_

'I'm sorry.'

"So that's your answer." Pain looks dispassionately at him and the anger that he thought had already exploded simmered once more. The hatred (why is he like this? Why is he feeling so much _hate_ in this life?) that he _doesn't want,_ appears once more and whatever dredges of desperation that had remained left, numbed acceptance replacing it.

'I'm sorry.'

"Do you not feel regret? Are you so- so _blindsided_ by your asinine plan on- on the Juubi? Do you really think it will work out without a hitch? Even with however much I can _relent_ to how your plan _might_ sow the seeds of peace, it's just teetering on the edge. The edge of- of what happened to _my world._ Don't you remember what I just _fucking_ told you? Don't you _dare_ think that Zetsu can be brushed aside just like that. You could very likely create a global disaster that wipes out all of mankin-"

"Of course it will work out perfectly." Pain intercepts in a smooth, matter of fact tone. 

Whatever left of his consciousness, (his mercy, his benevolence, his sanity) stretched into a thin line. But if he dares to push it once more, Arashi will- 

"After all, I am God."

Either Arashi gives up right then and there (curling into a ball and hiding away from this _horrible, hateful_ world), or it was...

'I'm sorry.'

Arashi _snaps._

('I'm sorry, ~~Ero-Sennin~~ Jiraiya, I'm so, so _sorry.')_

* * *

_-Moments too soon later-_

If his face wasn't a cold stone of emotionless indifference resting upon his face just as tangibly as his porcelain mask, he thinks he would've cried.

Or screamed. Or anything other than stare blankly at Konan.

Zetsu was cackling- the blackness of his form completely enwrapped the beaten body of Pain, smothering him completely and rendering him helpless in watching Konan...

The chokuto, which was originally aiming for Pain's heart, was pulled out, Konan's blood coating it.

She crumpled onto the floor. But at the sound of rustling clothes and the thud of the impact on the ground, with the steadily growing pool of red- 

Arashi didn't see Konan falling, bleeding (dying). Arashi saw-

(Neji slumped onto the floor, the sound of the thud echoed too loudly.

 _"_ _Because you called me a genius."_

There's Tobi's mocking voice, Hinata's slap against his face. _"You carry more than one life with you now-"_ )

The feeling of someone sacrificing themselves for you was already unbearable.

But the feeling of _causing it-_

How... did it come to this?

_Pain had been completely outmatched._

_They had stood, just a few minutes after their exchange, one paralysed- eliminated within a few seconds of the match. The other- injured, utterly beaten, with each bit of chakra he had stolen, he had received three blows in retaliation. The last one was unruffled, face a blank, unreadable slate, completely unharmed._

_Pain's ringed eyes darted around, searching for other chakra disturbances that hinted at Kage Bunshin or Henge. It slid over Konan's sweating form and Arashi pressed out a grim smile. The victim wouldn't be able to even tremble or twitch in his paralysis seal._

_They slid into a stance, neither one moving at all as a single tense of a muscle could indicate an attack. Arashi's chakra fluctuated aggressively and he watched as Pain flinched from surprise, moving to defend himself as a wave of pure chakra crashes towards him, the energy carving up the metal surface they were standing on. He raised both palms in retaliation-_

_"Shinra Tensei!" The two forces slammed into each other, and neither of the attackers dared to waste an arm to shield their eyes from the roaring tremors._

_In the battle of chakra endurance, Arashi knew he would win as majority of Pain's chakra was constantly fed to his Rinnegan- his eyes excelling at different, trickier things._

_When Pain's gravitational technique wavered, Arashi fluctuated his chakra once more, pushing his opponent back. He flicked out his chokuto, holding it parallel to the ground and shot forward, eyeing the twenty openings in Pain's positioning._

_Four were fatal, the other dozen were disabling and the rest would hinder him._

_Raiton raced down his blade and-_

_Obito._

_Obito's chakra signature- no, but it wasn't him. Not with that sinister, bloodthirsty, insane presence. Pseudo-Madara, the Uchiha Obito that wasn't Uchiha Obito. Tobi. His chakra disappeared in and out of existence until it neared them._

_Arashi felt a tickle at his mind, instincts suddenly screaming bloodlust and it wasn't until he dug deeper that he sensed-_

_" **Z** e **t** s **u**." _

_The growl tore out of his throat as Kurama surfaced once more._

_The chokuto halted before it withdrew from Pain's throat. Arashi activated the Hiraishin he had attached to Konan's arm and flared his chakra, the paralysis seal loosening enough to-_

_"Tobi."_

_"Yes, he had entered Amegakure a minute ago. Let me fight." Konan said with a resolved edge._

_"Convince me why I shouldn't kill you to lessen an opponent." He could sense Pain slowly getting up before freezing. Konan was at his mercy, it'd be logical to..._

_"You remind me of Yahiko." Konan said with a slight smile and if it was possible, Pain stilled even more. "Yet you aren't like him at all. I wonder why I think like that..."_

_She had said that Before too._

_He was getting soft. Arashi deactivated the seal and walked away from the befuddled woman. She staggered slightly and moved to attack him before she faltered._

_"Nagato." She addressed instead._

_"Konan." The duo stared at each other in silent communication. "Why?"_

_"Nagato." She said again, a steely edge to her voice. "Before being your subordinate, I am your friend. I am horrified with myself, do you know? It wasn't until the man spoke that I realised how we've gone too far."_

_Konan's eyes lowered, a forlorn expression on her face. "I know that neither of you wish to kill each other. Yet the world just has to be like this. Isn't it ironic, Nagato? We might destroy the world before it destroys itself..."_

_Pain didn't reply._

_Konan raised a gentle hand to touch the paper rose adorning her hair. It broke apart and the paper petals fluttered to the floor. "How it tears me apart to see the embodiment of an old brother battling you, Nagato."_

_She then swung around, a chakra infused paper shuriken intercepting Tobi's thrown kunai. She readied herself, paper- though looking flimsy, flapping in the air, poises as dangerous as steel around her._

_"So it was true... Konan and Nagato... you have turned against me." Tobi tilted his mask towards Pain. "Traitors to my plan."_

_"Less talk, Madara- or should I say, Uchiha Obito?"_

There was a tiny splat as a drop of dark liquid spilt down his blade, the impact echoing through the silent area. 

How did it come to _this?_

_"Is any part of you Obito?" Arashi eyed the dripping white flesh as Tobi forcibly swept aside the smoke from the explosions._

_"I am not him." He droned. "I have left my naïve self behind years ago."_

_"Then who are you?"_

_"No one. I don't want to be anyone."_

And even ~~Tobi or was it Obito?~~ Tobi had died. Yet another failure.

_**"Are you going to use your chains?"** _

_Nine Adamantine Sealing Chains exploded from his back, rattling in a mild warm glow, mimicking Kurama's nine tails. 'I might as well... it was infuriatingly easy to unlock in Uzushio when I hadn't even managed to do so in the war.'_

_**"Do you..."** Kurama paused. **"Do you want to do this alone?"**_

_Arashi closed his eyes tiredly, 'Is it weak of me to say no?'_

_In response, he could feel Kurama sending a flare of chakra down the first chain and the seal he had placed way back in Uzushio broke._

_One tail's worth of Kurama's chakra flowed out, energy flooding over him, his foreign yet familiar chakra an old friend in his coils._

_'I still don't get why you insisted on splitting and sealing majority of your chakra.' Arashi grimaced._

_**"Even when you only had half of me, it was obvious to any sensory worth their salt."** _

_'Yeah, yeah, and with 100% of you, even normal shinobi would be able to sense something off. Doesn't mean you had to be sealed so tightly that you only had enough chakra to produce a shade... Might as well crawl back to the sewers,' He sighed._

_Outside of his mindscape, he opened his eyes. They glowed a deep red, brimming full with power. The exhaustion once visible now disappeared, an icy cold of amethyst burns within the scorching glaciers of his eyes._

_His speed had already been unrivalled in the last world. With the Hiraishin, he had been the fastest in all of history. And in this world, with his Tou-san's famous Jutsu and Kurama's chakra fused within his system, there was no one who could have escaped from him._

_More than tripling in speed, reinforcing his body with more chakra than he had ever since he entered this world. It had been an easy thing..._ _ripping out both of Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan._

How did it come to this?

A failure. Failure after failure _after-_

_Pain stood in front of Tobi's downed form. Arashi could sense the chakra gathering into his palm and he knew that it would be his last, deciding move._

_He felt like he should leap into the fray to destroy the seal, to give Obito a single chance..._

_He then remembered Tobi, skin tinged a seafoam green and face full of blinded righteousness..._

"-Uchiha are behind the Kyuubi-"

"-the masked man-" His Tou-san had frowned.

"-I wish I could stay with you longer... I love you..." His Kaa-san's dying words.

"...that accursed eyes of yours..." 

_His Tou-san, his Kaa-san, Kurama, the Uchiha... thousands of dead shinobi laid lifeless, cold (dead) on the floor ( ~~Obito~~ Tobi cackled and taunted)._

_Arashi looked at Konan's prone, battered form and he doesn't just see the broken but persevering woman handing paper flowers to him, he sees all the victims to Tobi's actions._

'Obito was being manipulat-'

_'Obito was weak.' And wasn't that the truth._

"-saw me kill Rin-"

"I had broken my promise..."

"-it was because he lost faith in this world. It was because of me-"

 ~~Naruto~~ had punched Kakashi in the face for saying that.

_A wave of resentment poured over Arashi and he could see the both of them freeze at the sudden swell of malevolence._

_"One last chance, Obito." He bit out his name and hoped that Obito and not Tobi, would reply._

_He slid into a Kenjutsu kata, the chokuto held into a reverse grip before it spun into a forward sword grip as he pushed chakra into his feet, snapping forward in a single motion._

_By the time the two had blinked, Tobi's heart was already pierced._

_He injected Raiton chakra throughout Tobi's body, any remains of the seal that hadn't already broke had been burnt away in that attack. The chokuto was forcibly pulled out and Tobi's body jerked in response before he stood up drunkenly._

_"You see?" Tobi ~~and not Obito~~ yelled hysterically. "I can't even feel pain anymore! There is no hope for-" _

_The gathering of chakra in Pain's hands expanded and he raised a single palm, a small black sphere rose above them._

_"Chibaku Tensei."_

_"You die young." Pain's Rinnegan seemed to burn into Tobi's eyes. "How much of you is really you? Do you realise the extent of your ludicrousness? The Tsuki no Me plan sounds foolish. I have no hope for this world, you are right-"_

_"-But I have even less hope for the world you are planning for, Uchiha Obito."_

_"I'm not Obito, I will never-" He started to grasp at the floor, the gravitational force pulling him away._

_"Uchiha Obito." Arashi cut over. "Bind by a cursed seal, manipulated as a puppet..."_

_"You had pushed past your limits long ago," Pain chuckled breathily as the last pieces of Tobi's mask crumbled, revealing two heavily bleeding eyes._

_"Zetsu!" Tobi narrowed his eyes. "Lend me some chakra so I can escape this."_

_The black form of Zetsu arose from the ground, latching onto Pain's figure and he wobbled, falling to his knees as whatever left of his chakra was being slowly eaten away by Zetsu._

_"You stupid excuse of an Uchiha." Zetsu cackled. "You were always useless to me, moronic boy, you hadn't even questioned the validity of what I had told you."_

_"Zet-" Tobi's voice startled as a piece of debris crashed onto his body. "No! It wasn't meant to be like this-"_

_It was then that Arashi remembered that Obito had been assumed dead from falling rocks._

_Tobi (Obito? Who did he die as? Did he realise his mistakes just before he died? Arashi would never know) completely vanished from his vision as bits of metal clanged onto the Jutsu._

Obito had died. Again. (His fault.)

_"Nagato..." Konan wheezed and shifted, arms quaking as she attempted to push strength into her limbs._

_Arashi looked emotionlessly at Pain's slowly disappearing body. It was selfish of him for feeling grateful that he wouldn't need to kill him. Zetsu could dirty his hands for him. He wouldn't feel as guilty..._

_Then when shaky hands form into a Ram seal-_

_'Fucker.' Arashi swung his blade back up again, hoping it was the last time he'd need to use it. As if he'd let Zetsu manipulate Pain into using Rinne Tensei._

How. Did. It. Come. To... This?

_Arashi should've predicted it. Maybe he had actually seen it coming._

_Konan had strained her chakra to boost her muscles one last time, life force fed into her body. When her body intercepted the tip of the chokuto- Arashi had hesitated for a second, the momentum of his blade not stopping, but slowing. Slowing enough so that Konan had enough time to use herself as a shield, using her bare hands to clench onto the blade._

Her hands bleed, her chest bleeds, her mouth bleeds- the chokuto is bloody. His hands are bloody.

_Konan raised a shaking hand up to Arashi's face and for that single moment, he hadn't cared enough to dodge her hand. A red hand print touched his right cheek; reminscent to Hinata, and Konan_ smiled at him. 

_"Do not... wither."_

_What did that mean?!_

"Konan!" 

Pain's voice comes out strained and destroyed. There's an explosion of shockwaves, Arashi reflexively manipulates the air with Fuuton to stabilise his airborne position.

Zetsu... held on, the black shadow encasing more and more of Pain's resisting body. Gathering chakra under the soles of his feet, he shoots off of the air to pierce Pain's body again. This time, he also charged fire chakra down his blade and through his body, hoping that Zetsu would stop holding onto Pain's body.

Pain and Zetsu's voices rang together in a cacophony of agonised screams but when his hand started to burn from overuse, he stopped, drawing the chokuto away. He could feel his skin knitting back together a few seconds later. 

For once, he curses the Uzumaki vitality as a Zetsu forces Pain's dying body to cast a blur of hand seals, a hum of power-

"Gedo: Rin-"

Internally cursing, his hands dart forward-

Arashi feels disgusted in himself, crushing the two visual organs. Some of the soft, slimy, jelly-like substance that Sakura had told him was called vitreous humour sank under his nails and he tries not to throw up, tries not to look away as he threads a string of chakra within it, letting it slowly build up like how ~~Ero-Sennin~~ Jiraiya had told him to do with the water balloons. 

He doesn't dodge the splatters of blood as the two Rinnegan eyes _explode_.

(It's ironic- it's horrible. It's _disgusting._ It's disgusting how he's using the Jutsu Jiraiya had taught him to _destroy_ the eyes of _Jiraiya's students._ Disgusting. He was disgusting.)

"I'm sorry." Arashi says softly, voice barely audible as he draws his blade _for the last time_ (it must be the last- he couldn't handle any more), to pierce the heart of Pain (of Nagato). He tries to comfort himself with the fact that Pain (Nagato) had died a quick death. He hadn't suffered more pain- he would forget all of the pain that had burdened him.

Arashi is sure that he'd rather that than being controlled by Zetsu. (It doesn't comfort him at all.)

"Na- ah-g'to." Konan gurgles from where she was bleeding out on the floor, a stab wound just missing the heart by a few millimetres, severing major arteries. She mourns for Nagato though her eyes were milky and unseeing. Her voice cries loudly despite her throat being abused, clogged up with blood. Arashi hadn't even given her a swift death. 

(He can't bring himself to raise a blade to her.)

Zetsu slinks off of Pain and the red vibrancy leeches out of his hair, his skin growing pastier than before as Zetsu absorbs whatever left of Pain's life force. Arashi, not letting the shell shock hinder his movements, gingerly picks up Pain (is he Nagato? Is he not?) and carries him towards Konan.

"I'm weak." Arashi whispers. "The only thing I can do is to let you die together."

(He's horrible.)

(There's blood on Arashi's face.)

(It feels warm on his cold, cold skin.)

* * *

"I'll say I underestimated you," Zetsu rasps, a look of fury on his face. "Uzumaki Naruto."

Arashi freezes, motionless.

"I didn't think that you would be strong enough to kill them. Guess I underestimated how brutal you could be. Heartless." Zetsu tsks. "You ruined all my plans but no matter, I guess."

"How?" Arashi breathes, he was glad that his face was locked into place because inwardly, the turbulent emotions were tearing him apart. "There's no way that Kaguya..."

"That Mother couldn't send me to the past?" Zetsu's smile turns menacing. "You really are pathetic. You tore out Obito's eyes and destroyed them. You pierced his heart and failed to turn him away from the manipulations of Madara's cursed seal. You then worked with Nagato, letting him use Chibaku Tensei on him. Then you killed Konan. Killed Nagato. What would Jiraiya think of you?"

Madara. The future. Madara. The future.

(NagatoKonanObito- dead _deaddeaddead._ ~~Ero-Sennin~~ Jiraiya- disappointment, he must be so disappointed.)

"How did Kaguya do it?" Arashi asks, voice unbetraying of his bone-deep exhaustion, because he wouldn't let himself be manipulated like that. He slides into a sword kata, blade held in a reverse grip. "If you won't give me the truth, I'll beat it out of you."

"Heh, heh, heh. You can try..." Zetsu cackles and it cuts short as Arashi blurs towards him, blade whistling at the speed.

"Shinra Tensei." 

An invisible force slams into him. Arashi reflexively flips mid-air, centring himself before he registered the attack.

He flicks his gaze to Zetsu eyes. There's a single yellow one and his other eye that used to be closed... now opened. A six tomoe-d Rinnegan stares back at him.

 _Rinnegan?_ And a tomoe-d one at that? The only one that Arashi had seen before was Sasuke's...

"Everyone really dies around you, huh." Zetsu shrugs, "Heh-heh-heh, get it? Because everyone in your world is dead? You literally _are_ the last person alive. You _literally did_ kill everyone around you. Your mess is just going to continue in this world."

Wait. What did he mean '...the last person-'

"What's wrong?" Zetsu cocks his head at Arashi's suddenly blanking face. "Don't tell me you still had hopes for Uchiha Sasuke?"

_What._

"No..." Arashi croaks, emotion finally cracking onto his face. He had thought he could get over this. He had tried to contain it during Uzushio. He accepted their deaths. Accepted his new ambition- goal. He could deal with it. He could deal with deaths, he could deal with his failure, he could deal with the guilt of failing Jiraiya.

He couldn't deal with Sasuke.

Sasuke was the only thing that he couldn't ignore, couldn't shove away during the heat of a battle. 

(And after Obito, after _Konan and Nagato-_ he doesn't want to _listen to Zetsu speaking._ )

"I'm kidding!" He laughs like he had cracked the funniest joke in the Five Nations. "Don't worry, Sasuke is alive! ...For now anyway. And I can tell you that if he is still alive it won't be because he wanted it that way."

"I almost feel bad for him..." Zetsu continues to croon in a sickly tone. "All alone with Mother as company... and you don't even want to hear about how he's doing."

"No." Arashi gasps, air suddenly squeezed from his lungs. "There's no way. Nono, nonono. It isn't possible, how could it... No way. You must be-"

"Lying?" Zetsu scoffs. "Wow, how could Sasuke deal with you? No wonder he regrets it."

_Regrets it?_

"Oh you didn't think that would've happened?" Zetsu twists his face in a mock expression of sadness. "Sasuke regrets it, you know. Sending you to here, all safe and sound. He wished that he had sent himself here instead. I don't blame him, between your position and his current... state, I would've thought the same."

"T-... That isn't-" Arashi bites through his lip, the pain doing nothing to ground his sudden light-headedness. "He wouldn't. You... He's nothing like you. Don't spit on him like that. He's stronger than that. Sasuk- Sa-"

"You can't even say his name now, can you?" Zetsu's voice is grating with mocking derision. "What would he think about you while Mother is having fun playing with him?"

"What- No-"

"What do you mean 'no'?" He cackles. "I've never seen Mother so interested before..."

"Inte-"

"I mean, of course she would be! Do you know the colour of his small intestine?" Zetsu coos softly. "Or do you know what the-" Zetsu's left Rinnegan is piercing. "Do you know what the sockets of his eyes look like?"

"You couldn't have..." Arashi had seen Sasuke's Rinnegan numerous times and it didn't look the same. This one was a different shade of purple, the rings were too close together, the small black pupil in the middle was too small...

(But seeing Zetsu's Cheshire grin didn't help his speculation.)

"Do you want me to tell you something else about him?"

No, stopstop _stop-_

"Uchiha Sasuke hates you."

_'Hates me.'_

"Don't be ridiculous." Arashi's voice turns mean. "You- He isn't that weak. S- He doesn't- He won't succumb that easily. You really think something that generic and simple would be enough to trick me?"

"Well, you weren't there, though, were you?" Zetsu gives him a pitying look. "Do you know how long it's been? How long have you spent here, dilly-dallying? Collecting little kids and even that Uchiha Itachi... What will Sasuke think about you while he's been slowly torn apart by Mother? How lucky you are? Hmmm?"

"S- Stop talking." Arashi grits out, but his shoulders are hunched protectively and he doesn't move a single each. "That's the only thing you're good at. Don't think I'll just listen and sway from your words."

"Oh, _Naruto._ " Zetsu sneers and it takes every wisp of his strength not to duck away from that name. "You think Sasuke will really stay loyal to you? Sasuke has tried to kill you and your little friends before, _lots of times actually-_ did you never suspect that he might've just been tricking you all along? Siding with you so that he wouldn't get killed by the rest of the shinobi?"

'He cares about them just as much as I did- as I _do._ ' Arashi didn't open his mouth. Zetsu grins.

"He's used people before, used people like tools- what makes you think you're any different?" 

_"I stabbed Karin before." Sasuke faces away from him, tilting his head up, pale skin reflecting the moonlight. "To kill Danzo- for obtaining revenge. ~~Naruto,~~ you always seemed to have the answers to my impossible questions... Why am I like that? Why does she forgive me?"_

_"It's 'was', Sasuke." His eyes flick away from Sasuke's glowing skin, "'Why_ was _I like that?' You could start from there."_

"Shut up!" Arashi takes a step away, hating the way his mind was sucking up the poison Zetsu was spewing like a sponge. "You don't... you don't know him like I do. You don't know how close we are..."

_"Sasuke continues to commit sins..."_

_"I am an avenger!"_

_"...kill you on a whim."_

_"-sever that bond..."_

_"...must kill you..."_

_"Give up on Sasuke."_

_"-he's a Nuke-Nin now!"_

_"...my only goal... is in the darkness."_

_"How could I be in love with a Nuke-Nin? A criminal?"_

_"Why are you still obsessing over me?!"_

_**"** - **N A**RUT **O-"**_

"It's 'did'." Zetsu's face shifts into a large grin. "And 'were'."

('You don't know him like I _did_. You don't know how close we _were_.' Not anymore. He... doesn't know Sasuke anymore?)

"You want to know about what _really_ happened to Sasuke, don't you?" Zetsu coaxes, "Whether or not he's still alive? Up and about? Whether or not he'll come to you?" 

'Yes, yes I do.' Arashi _hates himself_ for wanting to know- for purposefully walking into Zetsu's trap. 'Tell me, I want to know.'

"Well, I can tell you that..." Zetsu gives a pause. "He's not." 

Arashi doesn't know why his heart drops at the words. He already presumed that. Even if Zetsu did know what happened to Sasuke, he wouldn't tell the truth-

"And even if he could, why would he come to you? Remember what I said? Sasuke hates you."

_"...all alone..."_

_"He regrets it, you know?"_

"Hates you for leaving him."

_"...been slowly torn apart by Mother..."_

"Hates you for burdening him."

_" ~~Naruto.~~ " _Arashi could easily hear Sasuke saying. _" ~~Naruto~~ , I hate you."_

"Hates you for having it so easy."

"...Please." He says quietly, wearily, meekly. "Please stop _talking._ "

Zetsu smiles again and it's nasty, vengeful and unforgiving. 

His dark form slinks towards him and Arashi didn't move. There's a cold hand on his shoulder and Arashi. Didn't. Move.

"Please." _Say something else- how could you plead? Weak. How could you bow? Especially to that disgusting vermin-_ "Please don't."

"Oh, _Naruto_..." Zetsu purrs as his vision wavers. The coldness of Zetsu's hand started to spread, "You poor, poor soul... it will be okay now..."

Then the world goes dark.

* * *

_-In an unknown area-_

Zetsu was overconfident. He felt invincible after receiving so much chakra from Mother and returning to the past. Zetsu forgot that he was most dangerous because of his patience. 

He was close... he nearly got Naruto- and so easily too! He just drank up whatever Zetsu told him. But he didn't expect that _that_ would happen... The Kyuubi had seemed to be blocked so well too! Well, whatever.

The first one was down.

His smile returns with a sharper edge of maliciousness. 

At least Zetsu now knows how to utilise his other selves more efficiently.

"Did your first copy die?"

"Yeah," Zetsu sighs. "Its body was sealed by a fox of all things. My Rinnegan and my memories returned just now."

A body of navy blue turns to face Zetsu's body of black. "Mou, we'll need to start a new plan now. You're so impatient."

"I admit I was. But you wouldn't know how sweet the first taste of power feels like, Tetsu." Zetsu smiles. "Afterall-"

"-When Mother birthed you, she gave you a lot more chakra."

"Don't be envious, Elder Brother." Tetsu shapes herself to form a mouth with jagged teeth- identical to Zetsu's even though she insists that she makes it look cuter. "For where I have the power, I lack the mind. I am the brawn for your brains."

"Don't be ridiculous," Zetsu scoffs. "No child of Mother's would be stupid."

"Yes," Tetsu cackles. "But it is somewhat true, our skills compliment each other, Brother. It was no wonder that-"

A pair of eyes- one pale blue dot and one Sharingan, turns to face Zetsu's- a yellow eye and a tomoe-d Rinnegan.

"-Mother was confident when she entrusted both of us to this mission."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mwahAHHAHHAHAHAHAH if u think u are overanalysing, U ARENT. think the questions, assume the theories... WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH INFORMATION I GAVE AWAY JUST THEN??? 
> 
> to reiterate: mwahHAHHHAHAH u know NOTHING OF MY PLANS
> 
> FEEL FREE TO BE OPTIMISTIC- FEEL FREE NOT TO BE! 
> 
> so yeah title means that arashi (windstorm) fucking curbstomps nagato (leader of amegakure- village hidden by rain or whatever) im actually so bad at thinking of names for the chapter gosh :0 sorry not sorry abt them lmao. i feel the need to kill every semi-villain just on the account that arashi now cares more abt his friends than peace (even if its just subconsciously)
> 
> edit: oh my motherfricken god. DO U KNOW HOW MUCH I HAD TO EDIT THIS BLOODY CHAPTER????? I KEPT GETTING EVERYTHING WRONG AND ID NEEDA REWRITE EVERYTHING. I LEGIT HAD NO IDEA THAT NAGATO COULDNT USE HIS LEGS AND WAS BOUND BY THE GEDO STATUE. so yeah, i had to rewrite everyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyything. and then i had to go back to find out his plans and his ambitions, his goals, his backstory, his quotes omGaWd the aggRAVATIon.
> 
> OH MY MOTHEROFGODSFUCKINGHELL I JUST REALISED THAT I HAD WRITTEN SO MUCH THEN I GOT A BETTER IDEA SO I JUST REMOVED LIKE 6000 WORDS WORHT OF FIGHTING SCENES MOTHER OF FUCKING GODS. SON OF A BITCH OH MY GOD. i might post what i wrote as an alternate scenario because ALL THAT DARNED MOTHERFUCKING EDITING AINT GOING TO GO NO WHERE.
> 
> and also (again), U FOOLS DIDNT PAY ATTENTION TO INO'S DEATH IN ARASHI'S FLASHBACK. I MENTIONED A 'DEITY', AN 'OTSUTSUKI' AND A 'HE' since kaguya isn't a 'he', it would have been another insanely powerful person. his identity and circumstance WILL BE EXPLAINED.
> 
> edit again: i feel like i need to redo the entire fucking fight for gods fucking sake, i didnt know writing WOULD BE THIS FRIGGIN HARD SNJGASHJ  
> EDIT AGAIN: i feel like it was kinda disappointing... (it's sat, the day i decided i am going to post shit... but i wanna redo it...)
> 
> also, i'm gonna delve into arashi's mental state/plans (so far) and why he took the year in uzushio etc. in the NEXT CHAPTER notes. (if i remember to write it, that is.)
> 
> how was it? :D


	17. a toad, a fox, a dog and a tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there are lives, more lives, that rests upon his shoulders.
> 
> (i legitimately cannot find a way to describe a kurama vs zetsu + rinnegan fight. sorry y'all)  
> also this is also a shitfest. im sorry if yall were hoping for a 'arashi reunites with the fam, fluff n crack af'  
> more characters. im just spamming angst at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> regarding arashi's sanity/personality whatever:
> 
> the one year in uzushio was to gather his bearings moreso than to actually refine his skills/rebuild the place. in usual fics, time travel was a 'planned' thing. so they know what happens etc. NARUTO woke up w the news that everyone was dead. then was promptly sent back into the past. so the one year was to make sure that he wouldnt get a panic attack over seeing a person (thats why he didnt get a heart attack at seeing tsunade etc)  
> 
> 
> NOTE: theres a lot of timeskips PARTLY to speed along the unnecessary parts PARTLY because arashi is currently in angst mode and its kinda a pain to write oop

_-While Zetsu is being a shit-_

Kurama instantly knows that something was wrong when the mental gates slammed down upon him. 

**"Arashi."** Kurama tries.

**"Oi, what the fuck, stupid brat."** Kurama tries again after half a minute of silence. He rears up his chakra to knock sense back into Arashi when it slammed back down onto him. He huffs in aggravation, working a sliver of chakra through, inconspicuous enough so that he wouldn't get kicked into the mindscape again. 

As soon as he heard Zetsu's slightly muffled voice from outside-

 **"Oh shit."** Kurama sighs, slowly looping more threads of chakra into Arashi's spiritual core. When he finds the remaining eight seals blocking his chakra, he yanks a couple off and violently tears through the mental barriers, not really caring for subtly anymore.

He hadn't needed to forcibly take over for a very long time, he muses as Adamantine Chains spring out and poise around Arashi's body, red chakra leaking menacingly from them. For all that he hates Uzumaki sealing bullshit, their chains were natural for him to control. He feels Arashi's consciousness returning to their mindscape and Kurama cocoons the presence in chakra, hoping to give him some semblance of comfort.

Zetsu, obviously not expecting the sudden retaliation, flinches as the chains wrap around him, prying him away and lifting him up to where he couldn't slink into the ground.

 **"Well that was easy,"** Kurama rumbles and he takes great pleasure in watching Zetsu grow panicked. **"Oops, I accidentally unsealed too much chakra. Too bad for you."**

"Kyuubi..." Zetsu gives a nervous chuckle. "I thought you were nice and sealed up in there... I didn't expect you to take over Naruto." 

**"Well, that's your stupid mistake, isn't it?"** Kurama bares his teeth. **"You're gonna die for it."**

"It's a bit late now though..." Zetsu grins, "I'll watch to see him never get back on his feet again."

 **"You underestimate us."** Kurama lowers onto all fours, breath clouding the air in front of him. Kurama knows Arashi- Kurama _believes_ in Arashi. **"We will both see to your plan failing disastrously."**

"With the Rinnegan, you mean?" Zetsu tsks, "I guess I had underestimated... I would never think that Naruto'd have the brains or the guts to actually _explode_ them. No matter though. This plan sooner or later would've failed with a time traveller present."

There was a second of silence before Zetsu continued, voice dripping with glee. "But you forgot that we are Mother's _will_. Be it a thousand more years, Mother will return. Eliminating you was supposed to be a side note... I don't need for Madara's Rinnegan when I have my own."

Kurama didn't hold back the growl that ripped out of his throat when Zetsu flaunted his lone purple eye.

**"Zetsu... you really think that you're all that impressive because of an eye, but that will just make you a better punchbag."**

Though he wasn't stupid, he knows that Zetsu had gotten pretty insanely powerful over the years of war. That scum had legitimately lived through eras and his knowledge for Jutsu and affairs are incomparable. From the chakra presence radiating off of the dark figure, Kurama could figure that he know had the _strength_ to back up his knowledge.

Of course he'd still win. He would win for Arashi. And maybe for Sasuke too.

(Kurama didn't care for the Uchiha. But Sasuke was Arashi's and he _did_ care for Arashi. He still detested that Uchiha and his blasted eyeball- he still felt conflicted over him having his Father's eyes- but _maybe_ he had a change of heart sometime over the past...)

Kurama's breath clouds as chakra saturates the air. He readies himself for what might be a difficult fight. He knows the Rinnegan the best. He knows its weaknesses and its drawbacks. He also knows its strength. And Kurama could very confidently say that it was way too overpowered.

(-Before-

_“What do you think you’re doing, Uchiha.” Kurama had growled, eyeing the Uchiha with suspicion. “Why place this mental barrier? Why knock Naruto out?”_

_“Kyuubi.” Sasuke had drawled in his usual haughty tone though they both knew their dislike of each other was just a play now- they had mutually agreed to never get along with each other for the sake of Naruto. “There’s no time for small talk. Replenish your chakra, I’m going to send Naruto back.”_

_“Don’t tell me... what are you planning, detestable Uchiha?”_

_“I suspected a Bijuu would’ve been smarter.”_

_“Don’t snark with me," Kurama had snarled. "What are you going to do?”_

_“Well, if you replenished your chakra and took the bulk of the absorption, then maybe I could follow Naruto into the past.” Sasuke had smirked, "You're looking a bit bony there though, so I'm not too sure of that happening."_

_“Past. I knew it.” Kurama had tsked, not rising to the bait, “Naruto’s going to be furious, you know? Actually of course you know, you’d know best.”_

_Naruto could’ve easily completed the seal by just attaching a few more parts together but after realising that only one person could use it at a time on the account of Five Kage worth of chakra fuelling it, he had quickly dismissed that idea._

_He had said he wouldn’t abandon anyone._

_“If you know it then go take your Bijuu nap or whatever.”_

_“And if I don’t, you’ll die from chakra exhaustion- drained life force.” Kurama had concluded. “Hmph, good riddance in my opinion.” He had then shifted into a meditative pose, contradicting his very words. Before he had closed his eyes, he had caught a glimpse of Sasuke's small, grateful smile. The oddity had only served to greater worry Kurama._

_Sasuke had left the mindscape and Kurama had given a loud and quick exhale, drawing whatever Nature Energy there had been left in the dead surroundings. Needless to say, there wasn’t much. Bijuu were entities of Nature, he didn’t need to go through the human process of becoming overpowered Senjutsu freaks- he already was one. But the downside of that was that if there was no Nature, then there was almost no hope for Bijuu._

_When he had finally managed to gather a bit of chakra, he had stilled. What used to be a meagre thousand presences left, was now..._

_When he had thought back to the Uchiha, looked past that abhorring Sharingan... tears. Oh, Kurama had thought. Everyone_ _was dead._

_Kurama hadn't really cared for those humans but there had just been something of Naruto's charisma and belief that made Kurama feel sorrowful- maybe for their deaths, maybe for his peace-loving Father, maybe for his new-found isolation or maybe for Naruto._

"-follow Naruto into the past."

_And that Uchiha... Ugh, he couldn't believe that he had actually felt just the tiniessstttt bit sad at the fact that the Uchiha would stay behind. Kurama hated feelings.)_

He breathes harshly, eyeing the lax form of Zetsu's sealed body. The wounds on his body hiss as steam erupts from his skin, knitting up the wounds instantly. Kurama hadn't felt his Father's chakra presence in the Rinnegan, it was suspicious. On contrary to what Arashi had no doubt been thinking, there was the possibility that everything had been going Sasuke's way.

The Sage of Six Paths had a specific brand of chakra that Kurama _especially_ could recognise. Zetsu's eye lacked that. Suddenly, he recalled how Kaguya had managed to give some White Zetsus Sharingans and other Dojutsus during the war and-

What if Kaguya had created the Rinnegan _for_ Zetsu? She would have depleted a lot of her chakra and adding onto the fact that Zetsu had gotten a chakra transfusion... using the time travel seal would also take lots of chakra (even for a deity, Kaguya had been exhausted after the years long fight). Sasuke could potentially be-

...Nah. That was an optimist's thoughts. Kurama was smart enough to know not to mention it to Arashi.

False hope is worse than bleak acceptance.

* * *

**"Kit?"** Kurama prods at Arashi's curled up form. **"Take over again, I hate being a human."**

Arashi gives a half hearted chuckle before the noise dies away, whatever light there was in the mindscape dimmed again. 

He could distantly feel the movement of his body, slightly hunched over and awkward posture before he relented, pushing Kurama back and regaining control.

'You just suck at it, dumb fox.'

Kurama huffs.

(When Arashi turns to the two forms of Konan and Nagato, Kurama didn't appear again. Arashi was thankful.)

* * *

There was a temple, beautiful, pristine... he didn't know if he deserved to step into it. But he had and now he was staring at the three of them, looking serene in their death. One was drained of blood, one had no eyes, one's body was barely recognisable under the crushing of Chibaku Tensei...

There had been splatters of red that were washed off of their faces and clothes but there was the certain stench of death that didn't leave any of them.

Out of respect, a fourth body, Yahiko, laid between Konan and Nagato's. 

He didn't look away from them as he completed the last of the procedure with a flick of Katon chakra. The fire was bright, flickering with the vibrancy and life that the four did not have (anymore). 

And when he pressed his palm against each cremation urn, Sanskrit markings flowing with chakra from him, he spoke the language of the Sages.

"Aatma Ko Sadgati Prapt Ho."

As the seals bind the urns, he lets the self-distaste curl in his gut- both at his actions (it was an immoral habit drilled into him. Sealing the passed was just another thing that had to be done in the war, the possibility of reanimation was just too large) and the words. Those detestable, detestable words.

_("I'm sorry, boy... There's only one last thing I can give you now." Hagoromo's voice echoes._

_"Anything," He had pleaded, "Anything will do- this war cannot be lost. I will never use the seal."_

_"_ _Aatma Ko Sadgati Prapt Ho."_

_"What does it mean?"_

_Hagoromo's shade disappears._

_Later, the phrase had appeared in an ancient tablet a strategist had studied:_

_'May soul attain Moksha.'_

_It was a condolence... for the passed._

_"That's completely useless!" Sakura had screamed. "Is he just telling us all to give up and die?"_

_After Sakura had died, he had said it everyday. He hated every word. He hated how there was nothing more he could do for the steadily increasing number of corpses.)_

* * *

He doesn't know how long it had been, standing in front of their sealed urns, but it's enough that he could register the patch on his tongue that had dried up. His chakra was completely shut off, pulled so deep within that it would've unsettled him if not for his numbness. He couldn't bear to feel the lingering traces of the three's chakra.

He wasn't close to any of the four. And because of that, he had no idea why his conscious made him stand there as if to repent for sins that he hadn't committed. (He had done the right thing, he had protected his _people-_ )

* * *

He finds that he regretted the decision to not keep his chakra out because his instincts flared when a presence walks up, around 200- no, 100 metres behind him. The presence stops fifteen metres behind him. When the person opens their mouth to talk, Arashi freezes, their voice echoing across the surfaces of the temple.

"My, my, my, look what we have here." _Jiraiya_ says casually and-

-Out of _all the people_ that Arashi had suspected would enter Amegakure- let alone _this building,_ it just _had to be-_ "When I strolled into the beautiful grounds of Ame, I certainly did not expect to meet the arising famous soldier, Blood Red Hurricane now."

~~Ero-Sennin~~? No, not his one- not _his._ It's Jiraiya. What was he... doing here?

"Jiraiya of the Sannin." Arashi's mouth moves to form the foreign words. "To what do I owe the displeasure of this meeting?"

The harsh, formal speak burnt at his tongue but he'd felt so muted that he didn't even know whether or not he was meant to panic. He represses the violent urges to turn around and hug his long dead, long gone Ero-Sennin.

Jiraiya was alive- very, very much alive _._ He wants to tell him _everything_. He wants to do one of those fiddly Yamanaka Jutsu to make him _understand_ so that he could finally stop holding all this bloody knowledge to himself.

So that he could finally have his mentor, his father figure, his guardian and his stupid, pervy, disgusting, frivolous (wise, supportive, caring, warm) Ero-Sennin _back again._

But this Jiraiya wasn't _his_ Jiraiya. And he couldn't. (There were already regrets on telling Itachi but that boy was just too shrewd for his own good.)

"Oh woah there, back up, back up. I was just... checking this place around, y'know? How are you doing?" Even without facing the man, Arashi could tell that he had plastered on a large, fake smile.

“I had just killed my relative and his only friend left-" _and his Sensei's childhood Teammate_ "-howdo you _think_ I’m doing?” Arashi reflexively replies with a bitter tone, mind flashing back to their burning bodies, the bloodied blade.

For it to be _Jiraiya_ of all people to meet him after Naga- after his... after their deat- murders... Arashi felt like someone was just _adamant_ on not letting him breathe easy.

Jiraiya wasn't supposed to be at Amegakure- not now and by his plans, not ever. What ripples did he cause? Did his actions make everything worse? Would more people die earlier because of him? _(Think of the people you've saved, Arashi.)_

What will he do? If Jiraiya knew of his time travel, knew of his failure, knew of his role as the 'Child of Prophecy', it would only cause him to lose hope. It wouldn't help anyone. 

(If Jiraiya knew that he- the supposed peacemaker- killed Konan, killed a misguided Konoha, ripped out and blew up Nagato's Rinnegan, it wouldn't help anyone. Not his guilt, not his regret, not nothing. Jiraiya was better off not knowing.)

"Oh, how sad." There's a slight lowering of his voice before it perks back up, "Do you want to hear something interesting then? My spy working at a dango store witnessed a Sharingan incident with a disguised Orochimaru-" 

Arashi hadn't asked.

"-He was also with a blonde boy that happened to look exactly like Iwagakure's Deidara. Am I seeing a pattern here? I think I am..." Jiraiya cocks his head with an exaggerated look of concentration on his face. 

Arashi distantly reminds himself to beat some more Henge into Deidara.

"The hime was seen with an Uzumaki brat- the one that I hypothesised you saved from Kusagakure after blowing it up." Jiraiya continues, "And you know the funniest part? They've all been related to this new mysterious person! Do you wanna know who they are?"

"You can cut it." Arashi says bluntly, "State your motive then leave. I have no intention on humouring your clumsy interrogation." 

_Say what you need then let me run away. Your presence is too much for me to handle. (The fact that you are alive is enough for me.)_

But there was a certain sense of disappointment within him (within the depths of turbulent, wracking regrets and the burning, sorrowful sense of relief). Jiraiya had disappointed them. Both Arashi and Naruto.

Neglecting him for his entire childhood. At first, raising him with the sole intention to make him become the second Minato. Only caring for the Child of Prophecy. It was saddening. He had preached against fate and yet it turned out he was ‘destined’ to become this saviour. (In the end, he hadn't even fulfilled that role.)

He loves (loved) Jiraiya. But it seemed like this world just ~~lets~~ makes Arashi _hate_ much more than usual. And the guilt. There's a bloody, smeared handprint on Arashi's face. He had washed it off, scrubbed it off but it still feels very _present,_ sticky and gross- clinging to his skin as tightly as the guilt was to his conscious.

(He killed Konan. Killed Nagato. Drawing in wisps of chakra before it gathers and explodes, bits of Rinnegan splattering across the floor. There's blood on him and-)

"Mou, so cold. You're not gonna ask how I found you?" Jiraiya seems unperturbed of his superficial animosity. "That being said: you're all over the place, you know? Basically all of the Nuke Nin and criminals across the Nations just mysteriously died off! Anonymously too! Just around the same time that a bunch of S-Ranks got defeated... Any decent spymaster would suspect it had something to do with you. The witnesses all described the _same person_ but with investigation, that person didn't exist!"

Arashi stares at the markings of the seal and the engravings on the urns in front of him, trying to zone out on Jiraiya's unfamiliar babble. It outwardly sounded the same: clumsy, playful and seemingly harmless. But he knew better. There was a hard edge of suspicion, wariness and the foreign feeling of animosity.

"There was a noble you had saved, you know? That man had put up posters and posters of that person and it turns out that half the _globe_ recognised them! There were _veryyyy_ few witnesses that had seen their _true face!_ And now, I will be one of them, ha-hah!"

Arashi could sense Jiraiya pointing a finger at him, "You've managed to dodge around so many Konoha Nin... You're pretty good at hiding! But I'm better at seeking!"

"Oh, right?" Arashi breathes lightly. He guesses that mass elimination of criminals would've been suspicious. 

"Yes right... Arashi." Jiraiya pauses, "How do I know your name, right? You want to know?"

"No. No, I don't."

Why wasn't he leaving? He didn't think he had explicitly offended any Village so far, so if he had one, then his bounty shouldn't be that large- not many would pay for the head of someone getting rid of their own trash. What was the purpose of this? Recruitment? Checking for hostile intent? Curiosity? Yet no other Kage had sent shinobi as high-ranking as a Sannin after him.

"Hoh, aren't a talkative one then... but humour me this, how did you do it? A Bunshin perhaps? A teleportation Jutsu?"

"You aren't at all subtle with your interrogation and I don't gloat." The words tasted like ash. "Leave alone."

He hates how he wants to love him and push him away at the same time. Jiraiya ~~Ero-Sennin~~ was _right there_ behind him. Breathing and _alive._ But right now, he couldn't do anything about it so he just wanted to be a sad person alone and appreciate how his precious people- even if they're the wrong version- were alive.

(He needed to be away from Jiraiya- from the Jiraiya that wasn't _his._ )

"Fine then, answer this one question and one question only." Jiraiya's voice turns severe. "To where do your loyalties lie?"

Arashi scoffs.

_(Arashi's seventy-sixth Kage Bunshin dodged a pathetic punch, moving around the nameless Nuke Nin. Holding a chakra enhanced senbon at his throat, he asked a single question._

_"To where do your loyalties lie?"_

_Almost every time, that nameless Nuke Nin would be laid down, instantly dead with a single clean prick at the base of his neck.)_

"None bar myself... I guess."

"Oh really?" He could feel Jiraiya narrow his eyes.

"I haven't checked the news. Is that's how much intel they have on me?" Arashi says, seemingly nonchalant. "How obsessed are the higher ups with me? That they investigate down to the point where they know what I say to my enemies before they die?"

"Pretty obsessed... but oh no," Jiraiya says cheerfully and at the tone of accomplishment, Arashi inwardly slapped himself- he had just confirmed Jiraiya's suspicion.

"My network is just that efficient and amazing, I'm sure no other Village knows that much about you as _I_ do... But even then, I have no idea how you managed it. At first I assumed it was an organisation, no one would be able to travel so wide so quickly. But then all the deaths were the same: swift, clean and fatal. Same strike, same process. There'd be no way one could create a criminal organisation as silent, professional and neat as the perpetrator."

"Need not worry. I am not here to cause trouble, Sannin." Arashi flicks out his chokuto, both as a false threat and a soothing motion. He spins his blade, the flashing of metal calming him before he sheathed it once more. "You asked for my intention, I have the ability to get rid of those hurting others, it is of no effort to me, so why shouldn't I?"

"Don't lie." Jiraiya snaps, tone sharp. Arashi thinks that he might've flinched from the unfamiliar voice. 

"Don't think such a generic excuse could fool me. Deidara- S-Rank, Itachi- S-Rank, Orochimaru- a Sannin, Tsunade- also a Sannin, warding a full blooded Uzumaki, destroying Kusagakure... what are you planning? I hadn't the chance to seek Tsunade, I was going to first look for the remnants of the Akatsuki after their information had stopped being so tightly under wraps but then... lo and behold, you pop up right in the Akatsuki leader's base! And with that wild flashing of oppressive, demonic chakra too."

Jiraiya continues, "Mass annihilation of basically all of the underworld. Almost none of their bounties were claimed. A show of power it must be."

Arashi opens his mouth to defend himself because he was a lone soldier. He had no missions to work for, Jiraiya was Konoha's spymaster, of course he wouldn't think that someone was actually decent enough to get rid of the scum of the world-

"S-Rank Nuke-Nin were slowly downed and you're recruiting the younger, powerful ones... for control? Manipulation? Are you planning on using them for their Kekkei Genkai?"

His interaction with Orochimaru probably brought this on. All he needed to do was explain how Jiraiya was completely wrong, he would _never-_

The Sannin exhales loudly, "And for you to appear _here_ of all places... You know, it really makes one think..."

They both fall into silence, well- Jiraiya did but Arashi's thoughts did as well. Gone was the mind screaming the _need_ for his mentor. Instead... a single fact remained: this was an interrogation.

Not a reunion.

'Does he think I'm going to start another criminal organisation? A revolution?' Either way, he couldn't think of anything positive the Sannin was insinuating.

_Wow._ That hurt.

He was glad that he had his back turned to the man, for he let a slip of his emotions flash across his face. 

"You are..."

Arashi lets a broken chuckle leave his throat before he casts a Fuuton Jutsu around him, latching onto his Hiraishin marker far far away from Amegakure. He turns his head slightly so half his head was facing Jiraiya.

Arashi couldn't help but etch every detail of his _alive and healthy_ figure into his memories. It was good enough for him. Jiraiya could become _this world's_ Naruto's Ero-Sennin. Arashi didn't need one. He had lived for so long without him after all.

It only took a split second, looking at the man, before he felt his throat closing up- Tsunade's grave voice delivering the news of his death ringing in his ears. It had been so long ago, yet he remembered that day so clearly.

His eyes flicked away, completely missing the stilled look on Jiraiya's face.

“I hope I never see you again.” Arashi says honestly, just before the seal drew him away. Because he doesn’t.

_"I'm really glad I took you as my student."_

He wants to be naïve and ignorant and love his Ero-Sennin. (But now he can’t. And sometimes, he curses himself for it. He feels himself becoming a hypocrite- in ways that he was distancing himself from loved ones.)

He wants to remember the Ero-Sennin from before he disappointed him, from _before_ he killed his students. (The guilt, the blood- was that why he had felt so attached?)

Arashi vaguely realises that their interaction might've been seen as a hostile movement.

(He doesn't care. Not when this world, this Jiraiya, this Konoha- wasn't _his._ )

* * *

_-Tanigakure: Akatsuki's base-_

Thousands of memories overlapped in his mind as he dispelled all his Kage Bunshin, waves of pain starting to thrum in his head. There was not much left he needed to do. 

'Well, I can't rest easy right now, can I?' Arashi flickered into the deserted Akatsuki's base. Walking curtly as he shoved the mask back onto his face, waves of energy rolled off of him as he destroyed everything within the vicinity of his chakra. 'Zetsu should have a counterpart.'

 **"Glad you weren't gone enough to not realise."** Kurama replied without remorse. **"Keep your senses open, don't let your guard down.** **Zetsu's corpse... the Rinnegan felt off. He must have something up his sleeve."**

'I'll just root him out and kill him- them, whatever.' Arashi threw hundreds of explosion tags at the army of White Zetsus, his aggravation shot up once again when he realised that a good portion of them were probably missing.

"Fucking hell." He cursed aloud, leaping backwards as he let the place explode once more.

With an elaborate seal, Akatsuki's base was thus inexistent in a matter of minutes. As the remains of the area completely disintegrated into piles of dust, the few splotches of white flesh dusting the ashes, Arashi finally felt like he was doing something useful. 

(He snagged a newpaper and a Bingo Book and it was then when he finally read of his status in the shinobi world.)

* * *

_-Hours before-_

Jiraiya had sent his best infiltrating toad- personally trained by the Great Toad Sage, into the recesses of Ame. With the new intel on Akatsuki and the new Hurricane arising, there was no way for him to be 'overprepared'. 

He had been planning to resume his investigation and call back Gamajou a few days later to map out his actions and report back to the Sandaime when a wave of Kyuubi's chakra had burst. And as his Godfather, of course his first thought would be Naruto.

Obviously Minato's son wouldn't have been harmed but something set Jiraiya off nonetheless. So heedless of the recklessness, he delved into Amegakure. He was a Sannin, there was hardly anything that could faze him.

He took it back.

Uzumaki. 

The man was Uzumaki, he thought as he watched the curtain of red. He had been provided the name 'Kazama Arashi' but he internally hit himself for his naivety- pseudonyms were common in this world. Especially for clan survivors... and in this case, Uzumaki. Or maybe not- he was almost 100% certain that the Hurricane was a male yet he had never seen such a slip of a figure before in that clan. Even- 

~~Even his half-Uzumaki Godson, who was horribly malnourished and had no decent source of food or water, was still developing somewhat well. Sure he might've been too skinny for a normal Uzumaki and sure most of the fat on his face was from baby fat, but he wasn't like those kids in Ame- he wasn't like Nagato or Konan or Yahiko.~~

There was a dark, sour bitterness within him when he realised that he only found out about Nagato and Konan's survival after their death. With no place to go, his suspicion towards the red headed man slowly twisted into resentment and he found himself running his mouth with facts that he had spent the last few weeks pulling all-nighters over just so that he could distract himself from attacking the man. 

This man, until further notice, was supposedly on good terms with Konoha- the Kusa incident was ruled off by the Hokage and his interactions with Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi weren't known by the Hokage yet. If he is actually an Uzumaki, Jiraiya's meant to formally invite him over to Konoha and support his needs. 

But there was an itching temptation to cause a Village wide fight to destroy this man. This man that had killed his shy, determined pacifist of a boy, the sweet, origami-obsessed, overly mature and mother-hen Konan and- Yahiko was dead though. A long time ago. Jiraiya was certain.

(He still pushed the blame onto the man though, there was no one else to blame after all.)

He hated how he was an Uzumaki and he hadn't come to Konoha earlier. He could have raised Naruto. ~~He doesn't even know. He probably wants a relative more than you.~~ ~~What about you, Jiraiya? Have you ever paid a face-to-face visit with your Godson?~~

At least Jiraiya had checked up on Naruto's physical wellbeing every so often. ~~Every few years, you mean.~~ Jiraiya even had an intel system to run- he was a busy man. ~~Very busy indeed.~~

If he was that strong, this man could have prevented Minato's death. ~~You know better.~~

He hated how he was an Uzumaki and how he was mingling with all those criminals. He was a disgrace- this man was an utter disgrace to the tradition, culture and upbringing of Uzushio and Konoha. ~~There's more depth to his actions than this.~~

He hated the nonchalance in the man's voice, the blankness that ~~spoke of well-practiced arts of suppressing one's emotions, god _damn it_ Jiraiya, you can do better.~~

He ignored the slight slips of emotions he could feel from the tightly wrapped up chakra signature. This man had killed Nagato- the one with the Rinnegan. The one that was supposed to bring peace to this horrible world. And yet this man had just stomped all over it. ~~Stomped all over the highest fatality rated criminal organisation that was actually planning to take over the world.~~

When the last few dredges of his information dried up, he hissed out one last seemingly amiable suggestion. He exhales loudly and says-

* * *

_-Uzushio-_

"Hello Kaya-san." A soft voice rang too loudly in the ghost residence of eddies. "It hasn't been all that long since I last visited you. Yet here I am..."

"This is the second time someone had died because of my incompetence." Arashi spoke to the handmade gravestone, the kanji for Uzumaki Kaya engraved upon it. "If I had come earlier, I would've been able to save you. Obito, Nagato, Konan. They were three kind people with admirable ideals."

A small breeze raised goosebumps on the skin of his face. (The blood on his cheek still felt tangible.)

"I killed them. Did I just change the future for worse?"

The gravestone did not reply.

"I get why Kakashi-se-... I get why Hatak-... I get why people talk to graves now. It's less of a talk and more of a rant, isn't it? The dead is the perfect outlet for emotions. No one would think I was strange if I cried, no one would think I was strange if I looked sad..."

The gravestone did not reply.

"I don't think I look sad, I'm not crying either." 

"Hn, what an idiot. I'd never think I'd have to tell you to smile more." Sasuke's voice flowed over him, ghostly in its melody. "Dobe."

He could tell that it wasn't real. Arashi knew that it was all in his head. He hadn't heard voices since that year when he first arrived. The detached sounds wracked him with frenzies every few minutes- it was tiring, it was _exhausting_ but he had soldiered through it.

That one year of rebuilding his crumbled state in Uzushio and a few measly words from Zetsu got it all crashing down. _Sasuke hates you._ The instability of this life and this world never ceased to make him grit his teeth in aggravation.

"Hey," Arashi spoke to the handmade gravestone. "Do you think I deserve this?"

Uzumaki Kaya did not reply.

* * *

_-Jiraiya-_

Well he regretted the statement as soon as the empty chuckle left the man's throat. There was a slight tugging of chakra and wind kicked up, the man shifted and turned to look at him for the first time and through the haze of the wind and the dust it brought with it, he could only think how wrong of an expression the man had made.

Minato, as he turns around to smile at Jiraiya. Minato, as he gives his Sensei a jaunty grin. Minato, as he looked over his shoulder with an impatient, teasing yet still polite voice- _"Stop slacking off, or... don't tell me, is the age catching up to you, Jiraiya-sensei? "_

Minato was always quick to learn, enthusiastic and ingenious. That tiny brat always rushed ahead, every so often stopping to pause and turn around, urging Jiraiya to 'hurry up please, Jiraiya-sensei'.

The eye shape, the sharp nose, the face shape, the arch of their brow, the same motion as they tilted their head slightly, eyes-

And that's what was _wrong._

They weren't Minato's cheery, clear-sky blue. They weren't the happy and boisterous cerulean. 

_"_ _Maybe today, I can finally defeat Jiraiya-sensei in a spar!"_

_"You wish, kiddo."_

'Smile!' Jiraiya wanted to scream at the man for no reason. 'Why are you looking at me in that way?'

Those eyes were a darkish purple-blue, ironically reminiscent to Kushina's and the orbs were muted with a forced blankness- a moment of judgemental assessment before raw _pain_ crashed over his features.

'Stop!' Jiraiya wanted to demand. 'Why do you look so sad?'

His entire figure stiffened before the pair of eyes darted away, those _eyes_ disappearing with the rest of his presence.

“I hope I never see you again.”

The pure honesty in his voice didn't help his inner turmoil.

Jiraiya stood in shocked daze for a few seconds before he let himself drop to his knees, crossing his legs in contemplation. It felt like someone was mocking him. That shade of red- 

A mere shade off of Kushina's- so similar that they could've been immediate relatives. (What if they were? What have you done?)A hue so dark and demanding that he couldn't help but compare the colour to blood.

The eyes- though he had only seen the pair for a single second at most, was familiar yet not at the same time. In the low light of Amegakure's building, it had looked as purple as Minato's were blue. If a painter had found two colours representing Minato and Kushina's irises and mixed them, it would be the man's eye colour. Yet that description didn't seem to do it justice. 

Jiraiya was a spymaster- it was part of his identity to take note of his targets. Uzumaki Arashi, currently the target that Jiraiya had the _least_ information on, looked like Minato and Kushina's son. 

It felt like someone was mocking him.

(He seals a quick, vague letter in a messenger toad to the Hokage. He couldn't give much confirmable information until the memory link after all.

He waves Gamajou over to start the chakra memory transfer. When he saw the toad's completely astounded expression, Jiraiya could only wonder what fight and information he had missed. 

After the transfer, he will immediately go to Konoha. 

This great shift in power would undoubtedly be a turning point in the shinobi world. ~~That man killed off so many criminals yet you disparaged his actions so. Jiraiya, why hadn't you dealt it with a clear head-~~ Sarutobi-sensei would be needing to hear the information _in person_.)

* * *

_-Yukigakure-_

The white blanketed area of Yukigakure seemed to be a place that he just gravitated towards. A meter from the tree with two broken branches, the spot a step East to the fur tree with a large stain of coppery red. Arashi sat.

Staring as the snow slowly melted into water from the heat of his palm. 

With a loud huff, Arashi threw himself backwards, laying on his back, staring up at the slowly drifting snowflakes. He flung an arm over his eyes as to not get the snow into his face.

'Kurama, you take watch, I'm sleeping.' Arashi announced with an almost petulant tone.

 **"Stop slacking all the time. You're acting like a kid."** Kurama rolled his eyes when Arashi flopped his arm in a shooing motion though they both know that neither of them meant it. 

**"Do you know how disorientating this human body is? Puny minds and puny hormones- god, I feel about as powerful as a twig in this body too."**

'Yes yes, I heard you the last six hundred times. You catnap all the time, Kurama. Let me do it too.'

Kurama rolled his eyes again as Arashi's consciousness snuffed out just like that, disappearing deep into the recesses of his mind- cocooning himself from where Kurama couldn't kick him back out of.

That lying brat. Kurama knew that he wouldn't sleep at all.

That stupid brat. He should know by now that Kurama would always watch over him.

* * *

_-Mindscape-_

He curled into a foetal position, exactly where he remembered waking up nearly two years ago. Arashi felt mortified at the fact that he hadn't even been in the right mindset to cover his tracks. Even though at that time he was chakra exhausted, there were noticeable ripples in the floor and slight indents in the nearby trees that were caused from shockwaves.

Oops.

He curled into himself tighter and squeezed his eyes harder and if he tried _really_ hard, maybe he'll remember Sasuke's fingers threading through his hair, maybe he'll remember the weight of his body as they had weakly tackled each other.

Of course he remembered Sasuke but with each memory, he turned colder and more distant. Of course he knew the shade of his skin and his pure black hair, of course he remembered how his Sharingan swirled to life, a beautiful red that was two shades lighter than carmine.

But he didn't remember the contrast between the smoothness of his skin to the callouses of his hand, he didn't remember how his hair felt like and he didn't remember what his nose felt like brushing across his or how soft his lips were and he wants to- he _needs to_ remember so he hid his head with his arms.

'Just five minutes.' He told himself. 'And then I'll get on with this world.'

He liked to think that if he blocked out this world enough, he'll be able to see Sasuke, who's all alone in the other.

(If only Zetsu hadn't opened his mouth. If only Arashi hadn't _let_ him open his mouth. Kurama was right, human brains _were_ kind of puny.)

He buried himself deeper into the mindscape, so far away from the world that the cold of the snow faded completely.

He might be rejecting _this_ world right now, but he would slowly come to move past (Sasuke) his old world. Arashi knows he will. Just five minutes and he'll stand back up and appreciate the life of this living world.

('All your friends are here.' A voice said.

'They aren't _my_ friends.' A traitorous voice whispered back, and for all that he managed to try and evade Zetsu's taunts, the voice sounded just like his.) 

* * *

_-Yukigakure-_

It had only been around a minute before Kurama grew bored. He could wait for centuries inside a seal but the real outside world was boring when all he could do was watch the snow fall.

Red eyes emerged from blue as Kurama sat up, biting his thumb and drawing blood-

**'Kuchiyose: Kenichi.'**

In a blur, the space-dimension warping, a large fox appeared.

"Ah, Kyuubi-sama." The fox gave a dip of his head, five large tails swishing, "How can I be of assistance?"

 **"Kenji?"** Kurama raised a brow, **"Don't tell me, Kenichi is mad that he was first summoned by a Bunshin?"**

"It can't be helped, Kyuubi-sama, the few confrontations that the original Arashi-sama fights in are way out of our league." Kenji sat down, dark orange fur contrasting the white of the snow.

"Aniue just received his sixth tail and he's too prideful for his own good." Kenji sniffed, looking around. "I have nigh nought clue why Arashi-sama deigns to deal with the lowlife scoundrels of this world... Though it is little effort for him. How many are there now?"

 **"Hmm, he just dispelled all his Bunshin but I figured he would leave around a few to finish doing the important shit or whatever."** Kurama shrugged, the action feeling foreign in Arashi's body.

Kenji sighed, "I have nought idea as to why Arashi-sama even signed the blood contract, it couldn't possibly be just because of loneliness."

**"Spot on."**

"Right... well, what is the purpose of my summoning? I beg you to tell me that it wasn't because of a reason as demeaning as being 'bored'."

**"...Spot on."**

"-yuubi-sama is worthy of the greatest respect. Kyuubi-sama is worthy of the greatest respect. Kyuubi-sama is worthy of the greate-" Kenji chanted under his breath then he paused and sniffed.

"I knew it. Potential enemies." He hissed, "Kyuubi-sama, pray tell," Kenji sniffed again. "Why are there _dogs_ coming here?"

**"...Excuse me?"**

"No pardon me, it was just one. Ninken, I believe... the ghastly stench of normal mongrels wouldn't be hidden as professionally."

The fox flicked his tails again, "If I hadn't been one of the most proficient Kitsunes at gathering Nature Chakra, I almost would've missed them. Their presences are pretty far away so you have time to prepare for a fight." A smile stretched across Kenji's face, bloodthirst spiking up for a moment before it was brushed away.

Kenji blinked at Kurama, "So?"

Kurama sighed, rubbing at his temple. Puny weak humans, puny weak brains. So prone to stress. "Stand by, Kenji, I'll need to confirm whether or not they're an enemy." He sat down, Indian style, hands together as he draws in Nature Chakra, latching onto one- no, two chakra signatures. Two _familiar_ ones.

It was the oh-point-five Sharingan- Kakashi brat and the... baby Mokuton pest- Yamato or something.

Well, fuck?

He mentally prodded Arashi again and he stirred before the astral projection froze, jolting up so violently that Kurama could feel it in the mindscape.

 **"Stupid brat."** Kurama rolled his eyes for the fiftieth time, finally getting the chance to kick Arashi's consciousness back into his body.

"Kenji!" Arashi's eyes widened a fraction, "What are you doing?" 

"Arashi-sama!" Kenji exclaimed. "Heavens! It's the real one! I must be the second Kitsune to be summoned by the true Arashi-sama after Inari-sama. And... I was just locating the Ninken that is approaching. Them and their masters are brilliantly hidden! It will surely be an amazing fight!"

Arashi discreetly widened his chakra, stretching and stretching- he hoped that it wouldn't confirm what his gut instinct had told him... until it brushed the presences of-

'Kurama...' Arashi whispered slowly. 'I swear there's a supernatural power trying to slowly tear apart my mental state. Puny human brains- I know, I know. What the fuck do I do?'

At Kurama's mere scoff as a reply, Arashi sighed. He stood up, padding over to Kenji before he tackled the fox and draped his arms over the furry warmness. He slid down into a W child sitting pose, burying his face into Kenji's side. The large fox barely budged from the movement.

"Arashi-sama," Kenji said with a bemused voice, "Do us summons seem more like warriors or cuddly pillows?"

"Perfect cuddly pillows." Arashi replied back, voice muffled. "Kenichi would feel disgraced."

"Aniue would be honoured." Kenji joked.

When Kakashi and Yamato's presence entered just in the four hundred meter range, Arashi contemplated on running. 

**"Don't run."** Kurama huffed. **"It'll be bothersome. If Ninken had been summoned then you probably weren't careful enough when you entered Yuki. There'd be a shit ton of detective shit and that stuff is frankly annoying. You already fucked up with Jir-... With the other Konoha. If you run now it'll become a dramatic game of cat and mouse. You're planning to go to your Leaf Village anyway, right?"**

After a lack of response, Kurama tried again, **"...Riiiigghhhhtt?"**

"Kyuubi-sama, you're such a nag." Kenji piped up in their temporary telepathic communication. "Konoha. It's the place that Arashi-sama grew up in in his previous life, is that right? Transferring memories through the chakra core is quite a fickle thing, even though us Kitsunes are masters of the mind, I wouldn't be entirely sure."

Kurama hummed in confirmation. **"I hate that place. But we still need to go there."**

'Stupid foxes. Stupid mind link Jutsu thing. Stop ganging up on me,' Arashi bemoaned, raising his head to rest his chin against the fluffiness of Kenji. But contrary to his obvious dislike of the situation, Arashi stayed. And waited. He couldn't run again. He couldn't lose to that- that shithead Zetsu _again._

He closed his eyes and like usual, Zetsu's voice flashed between his lids. 

'I fucked up, didn't I?' Arashi murmured quietly. 'Fucked up so bad.'

Kenji stayed silent. Kurama's piercing, wise eyes didn't display pity but his gaze was comforting. 

In the silence as they waited for the two men and Ninken to near them, Arashi's eyes suddenly snapped open then narrowed, flashing with determination and hardened resolve once again.

Kenji chuckled and Kurama closed his eyes and shook his head minutely, a knowing smile playing across his face.

'It won't happen again.' 

**"And... welcome back."**

* * *

_-On the other side-_

The report from Jiraiya-sama didn't help at all.

Tenzo was already pissed that Kakashi-senpai was getting unwillingly pulled out of ANBU again. Pause: negative- the word wasn't pissed, in this connotation, it should be 'disappointed' but it was weird because he was also kind of happy and kind of a... tornado-of-the-emotions-thing that he was always horrible at. 

He was still vehemently against the psych tests that they decided to run monthly for ANBU.

He was happy that Kakashi-senpai would start to integrate with the other Jonin that seemed like nice people but he never got why ANBU were considered emotionless, after all, it was nothing compared to ROOT-

Oh wait. Don't go there.

But back on topic, he was already sort of pissed-disappointed-happy that this was their last mission together as ANBU. And then, the mission turned out to be completely useless as another person- the Red Hurricane supposedly, had already beat them to it.

Now they were heading back, but then they got a notification on the new Hurricane person and then Kakashi's Ninken found that person and now it's all over the place. 

He was pretty sure that he was feeling annoyed... or maybe he was nervous. This person was crazy powerful- crazy dangerous. S-Ranks after S-Ranks defeated...

And then there was also _that_ time... He hadn't been there when Jiraiya confirmed the Hurricane's final opponents but Kakashi-senpai had been- well, shell-shocked? Depressed? Tenzo wasn't good at emotions so he couldn't tell. But _Tenzo_ was a little bit scared and angry at this 'Red Hurricane' for making his Senpai feel those negative emotions that he didn't usually display so obviously before.

And then Sandaime gave an order to 'confirm their intentions' even though that was supposed to be Jiraiya-sama's work. Jiraiya-sama had even _met_ the man yet he gave absolutely no information in the letter other than: 'powerful' and 'potentially not right in the head' and 'may kill you' then 'may not'. He hadn't even confirmed the gender.

It was the height of unsatisfying reports. 

Tenzo kept a blank face over his raging thoughts as they neared the person. It was nice to know that this person wasn't so powerful as to not recognise their presences- after all, they were both considered around A to S-Rank in strength. At least this person was still _normal_ enough to sneak up upon- this S-Rank hunter wasn't the invincible, all-powerful deity that he had (frankly) thought he was.

But just before their feet crunched the snow-

"Almost kept me waiting."

_Well never mind then._

The quiet voice was soft but as their chakra unfolded like it had been hidden all the time, it permeated the air in its strength... and its emotions.

"I've been curious as to why..."

The man- finally some information- turned around, slowly rising to their feet, violet eyes as striking as their hair. A large, multi-tailed fox sat next to the man, eyeing them with a dissecting kind of curiosity. Tenzo _swore_ that the rhombus upon the man's forehead had glowed for a second and that his eyes had blinked a melting silver.

Kakashi-senpai froze in front of him and Tenzo would be alarmed at the sudden change of approach if he wasn't so overwhelmed by the bittersweet sorrow of the chakra that sunk into his veins. Tenzo was shocked to realise that the _unmoveable, ex-ROOT agent Kinoe_ was moved to almost _sadness_ with just a _chakra sense._ This 'emotions' thing slipped through his fingers once again.

"...you keep approaching me, Konoha."

And of everything he had thought of this new person, the infamous Red Hurricane that managed to outmanoeuvre Jiraiya-sama, slaughter feared renegades and supposedly down majority of the Nations' criminals- he takes it back.

He takes it back as he drowns in the thick, present chakra that cries of longing, pain and nostalgia- _nostalgia?_

This man... wasn't anything like a 'fearsome rising criminal leader' or the 'powerful new boss of the underworld'. He wasn't anything ridiculous or tyrannical... Tenzo was bad at emotions so his word couldn't be trusted but he thinks that this man...

...was purely lost.

* * *

_-Mt Myoboku-_

It felt like someone was mocking him.

Jiraiya didn't bother to retain his pride as he slumped backwards onto the large stone slab of Mt Myoboku.

Future. Uzumaki Naruto. Future Naruto. The Child of Prophecy. The end of the world. 

He recalled their interaction and he recalled _everything that he had missed during that time._ He recalled what he had said, what he had accused. 

_"Don't lie."_

_"Don't think such a generic excuse would fool me."_

The future. Naruto. Naruto, his Godson, travelled back in time. To save the world from being devastated.

_"Don't lie."_

In all of his life as a war-hardened shinobi, he had never felt so much regret before.

_"You killed Ero-Sennin- you killed Jiraiya, my Godfather- that's your Sensei! The one that saved you and cared for you and you killed him without remorse."_

Ah, and that's right. Nagato. 

_"You killed Kakashi-sensei, you killed loyal shinobi, kind civilians- you devastated my Village and hundreds had died."_

And he had thought that Nagato was the Child of Prophecy.

He wearily stands to go and report to the Hokage when he paused. Jiraiya could do that later. ~~Face it, Jiraiya, you just don't want to see your Godson.~~ He had a lot of information to go through. He didn't know whether or not he should continue to investigate the credibility of his newly discovered memories. He didn't know whether or not he was _allowed_ to after chasing off Minato and Kushina's son- _god Minato and Kushina's son, how did he miss so much?_ How did he screw up so much? He remembers the cold, cold voice of Minato and Kushina's son and cringed.

Shinobi weren't meant to let their emotions hinder their actions and now look what he had done.

It felt like someone was mocking him.

He feels like he deserves it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if this is super hard to follow along but it was harder than i thought to plan out what happens lol i feel like im going to disappoint everyone 
> 
> if u were looking for an emotional reunion (jiraiya)- HAH, SUCKERS. i'll tell you this, that's not the OFFICIAL o-ffICIAL reunion because i wouldn't just throw out a character without any uh, reason i guess.
> 
> i mainly entered jiraiya (as a middle finger to everyone who told me to give arashi a break HAH) to use him as a source of info. it's been subtly mentioned that he sends out bunshin a lot. obviously, they'd be in henge. 
> 
> but obviously... the strife with jiraiya wont end mwahahh
> 
> btw, if u wanna know abt why theres memory transfers, comment cuz i wont bother explaining it during the story lmao i might put it in the notes next week tho


	18. sorry he's late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do not question the time
> 
> also: read my new fic, (self promo asf) 'to heal a wound'  
> its medicnin!naruto (somehow) and its abt tsunade taking naruto as a disciple and getting him op. (getting there)  
> 

_-Yukigakure-_

Kakashi had taken one look at that blood red hair before he had wished he had taken those random three Genin as students. He had felt _angry_ and-

_"Kakashi," Jiraiya was grave. "I need you to be calm."_

_"That goes unsaid, Jiraiya-sama."_

_"No I mean, you_ need to be calm." 

_"...Of course, Jiraiya-sama."_

_The man had taken a deep breath-_

_"Twenty-four year old Uchiha Obito fought against the Red Hurricane and died."_

Anger. Of course he had felt anger. He found out that his best friend (self proclaimed) was alive only after his death. He could have fixed _everything,_ mended all his relationships, get rid of the guilt- find some happiness... But then this person had just... casually killed off his best friend (self proclaimed) that could have changed his entire life for the better.

He didn't know why he saw Minato-sensei of all people in this man that looked almost exactly like Kushina-san. It was laughable how much it haunted him. Was this karma for not looking after Naruto? But he had done all he could, taken all the ANBU shifts he could... He had whispered 'sorry, I'm so sorry' in the depths of the night from distances he knew that the sleeping Naruto couldn't hear from.

He didn't know what to feel of the anger and denial anymore. This man had killed his best friend (that had not returned to him). Why didn't Obito come back? Why was Obito targeted? He wished he had stayed longer to demand more information from Jiraiya-sama.

Kakashi wanted _answers._

* * *

Arashi feels proud of himself when he didn't flinch at Kakashi and ~~Yamato~~ Tenzo's ANBU masks. Kurama mentally patted him on the back with a claw. 

'Did you see that, Kurama? I can talk to them.'

**"Yes, yes, very brave you, stupid kit."**

"...Um-" Tenzo starts before his mouth clicks shut. Funny, he didn't remember him being that awkward. The two stand silently while Arashi absent-mindedly moved to play with Kenji's fur. 

After a few minutes of highly uncomfortable silence, Kakashi finally relents: "Jiraiya-sama failed to inform us that you were an Uzumaki." His voice was strained and Arashi was surprised to hear how stark the emotion was in his voice. 

"Does it matter?" He asked.

"What?"

"I said," Arashi turns to directly face them again and Tenzo's eyes squint behind the mask, Kakashi's eyes dart away, "Does it matter to you whether or not I'm an Uzumaki?"

He knew it was a bad idea to shove Kakashi's old family into his face, but realistically speaking, they weren't being very ANBU-like at all. Their mode of operation usually went like: identify target, confront motive, complete mission objection, regroup then report. Emotional soap operas and dramatic revelations weren't usually their thing.

"Yes," Kakashi replied with a weird tone. "Uzushio and Konoha were sister Villages- you would have been welcomed to stay at Konohagakure."

"Oh I didn't know that, even after the Sannin's very friendly visit?" 

"Jiraiya-sama is-" Tenzo's voice turned annoyed for a second before it was masterfully hidden, "Jiraiya-sama had not informed us much of your encounter. We took it as a sign that you have no hostile intent. We were given the mission to offer you a stay at Konoha." 

Arashi could tell there was more than that but it wasn't like he was in any danger anyway. Only his kids were.

Without making a show of pondering the invitation, he simply replied with an "ok." 

The two do a double-take at the same time and Arashi almost applauded at the synchronisation. 

"I'm expecting that you want to recruit me." Arashi gives a light laugh. "I'm afraid to tell you that I will never work for a Village but my own. I am not even a registered shinobi. Either way though, having me in Konoha would place you high in political ranks after my mass annihilation of criminals... right?"

The two ANBU stay silent.

"It's fine though. But I have one- no, three conditions." His voice turns severe as he narrows his eyes at the two. 

"It is expected." Kakashi said, now in his toneless drone. "As long as it is within reasonable boundaries, Konoha will abide by your conditions."

Right... that was bullshit, he muses as he tries to imagine a confrontation between the two ANBU and his current acquaintances.

"First, no harm is to be dealt to my wards." Arashi counted off. Though either way, there was almost zero chance of him getting Deidara or Itachi into Konoha. Not for a while at least. "In the best case scenario, that condition won't even be needing to take place, however."

"That can be accepted. And second?"

He stills and the two shinobi watch on warily.

"I'm not going to bow under anyone." 

Kakashi and Tenzo look at each other and Arashi rolled his eyes.

"Your invitation was me to 'stay' in Konoha but I know how tricky you shinobi are, what were you planning to do?" Arashi cocked a brow, "I already know it's nigh impossible for me to live normally in a shinobi Village. But I don't want to become someone's soldier. What would you do? Slap a Konoha mark on me then throw me into the front lines? Snatch my wards and make me obey you? Put me on a pedestal and use it to take over other Villages?"

**"Didn't think you were that creative, brat."**

'Ugh, I screwed up big, Kurama. It's not like I can take any chances.'

"No, of course not," Tenzo replied hurriedly. "Hokage-sama would never use underhanded tactics like that."

"That condition remains to be seen." Kakashi interjected, cutting the accusations off short. "Free will and insubordination are different matters. And your third?"

"Third... well..." Arashi's face turned slightly sheepish as he realised that he didn't know what else to ask, "Take off your masks when you talk to me?"

When the two slapped their foreheads- or where their foreheads would be on the mask, Arashi scratched the back of his head, "Well, when you ask for conditions, isn't it like wishes? And isn't it always meant to be like 'I grant you three wishes' y'know? ...Kinda?"

The two Konoha ANBU turned to face each other before they begrudgingly unclipped their porcelain masks. 

Arashi paused for a second before a Kage Bunshin jumped in to greet them with a plate of warm dango. 

"I was cold." He redeemed at Kakashi and Tenzo's bewildered look. The Kage Bunshin dispelled itself and he grabbed a stick, relishing in the warmth. "You want some?"

The two look at each other again before Kakashi shrugged, Tenzo slammed his palms onto the ground and three wooden chairs rise. Arashi stared at the wood for a second, wondering why Tenzo would give out information on his power before shrugging, taking a seat at the very edge of the chair, beckoning the other two for a dango.

**"Would you call that a good first impression?"**

'Best.' Arashi mentally nodded. 

* * *

Kakashi and Tenzo were sharing dango and now tea- neither poisoned- with the infamous S-Rank boogeyman of the Five Great Nations. On wooden seats that Tenzo had created. Without their ANBU masks. 

What the fuck.

* * *

_-Later-_

"I'm going to run an errand, it'll be quick." 

"Wha-"

"I'll meet you in this place-" Arashi tapped a location on a map he had unsealed, "-in around a day's time. Bye bye Hatake-san, Tenzo-san."

"Wait a second-"

* * *

_-Rendezvous: Two days later-_

"Fuck you." Kakashi said as he annoyedly unclipped his Inu mask, formality out of the window. "You took nearly two days. You said it'd take a day at max."

"Where did you even go?" Tenzo asked with a strange expression on his face.

"Oh sorry it took so long," Arashi gave an apologetic look, "I was having tea with the Mizukage in Kiri and I was updating him of the Nations' affairs after his release of the year long Genjutsu. Usually one's chakra core would get eroded after such a long time..." He pondered, "Though I have my belief in Yagura-chan's recovery!"

And with that, Arashi turned, leaving the two ANBU to contemplate the world's existence.

Meanwhile, Arashi was feeling a growing sense of nervousness. The two had asked last time- more like forcefully suggested- that they first saw who his wards were. The Bingo Book was very vague and it was only a matter of time before Jiraiya updated it...

Deidara and Karin would be fine after some explaining. Tsunade and Shizune are more than fine. Orochimaru and Itachi on the other hand...

Though Jiraiya had probably reported to the Sandaime by now, it was only a matter of time before the two ANBU would be known on his acquaintances. Better now than after the inevitable clusterfuck?

* * *

_-A day later cuz Arashi couldn't use Hiraishin-_

"Kazama-danna!" A limpet that was Deidara jumped onto Arashi as soon as he knocked on their door. Karin- who looked completely unsurprised of his return, turned an angry and worry frown onto him.

"It's been more than a week, Arashi-nii! Do you know how worried we were?" 

"You're late, Red." Even Tsunade looked relieved as she snapped a salute from the kitchen doorway, Shizune and Orochimaru shadowing her from behind. 

"Hello, Firecracker, Karin, Itachi-chan, Tuna-obasan, Shizune and Orochi-you-snakewad." Arashi let out a slight exhale of surprise as he realised how long his people-to-greet had gotten.

"Arashi-san is unharmed, correct? I cannot see reason in why you would be late." Itachi's eyes flashed a slight red before Tsunade's fist came upon his head. The reprimands of the repercussions of the Sharingan echoing in the room walls. 

"Yeah, yeah, is there anyone I have to blow up, danna?" The gleeful expression on the young boy's face took him aback before Itachi flicked Deidara's forehead, the almost bloodthirsty look was overtaken by a pouting one. "I'll blow them up nicely. Nice and prettily." He corrected with a charming smile. Itachi scowled again.

Arashi laughed and when the sound broke midway, it occurred to him how long it had been since he had genuinely laughed from their antics. "Maa, just a week and a bit, chibi-chans have no need to worry about your precious Arashi."

"Your excuses for your tardiness can be of null, Arashi." Orochimaru said lightly, still half a step behind Tsunade. "What did you say about how shinobi does things? Huh?"

"Way to be picky on words, _Orochichi-jii._ " Arashi relished in the Sannin's aggravation. "I had complications, such as meeting the Mizukage. Not like I could leave straight away."

"Kidding..." Karin murmured, adjusting her glasses before pulling out a scroll of newspaper out of a hammerspace, "Wasn't it in a civil war? A political mess?"

"News on Kirigakure's affairs are contained." Itachi replied in a patient tone, "Because the borders are restricted, news is fairly out of date."

"I know it's still a shithole though, hm!" Deidara crowed, "Because some people told me to blow up them shits, HM!"

"Deidara!" Itachi scolded, flicking another finger onto the blonde's forehead. "How many times have I told you to stop with the vulgar language?"

"I think it's impossible, Itachi." Orochimaru mused, "His brains seem to be composed of explosives only."

"Yeah, yeah! Oro-jijisama is completely correct, hm!" Deidara boomed. 

"...That was an insult."

As Arashi felt whatever last dredges of darkness from his previous encounters lift, he smiled at the group of crazies he'd collected.

(Though they would all insist that he was the craziest one.)

* * *

_-A minute later-_

Arashi raised a hand to brush hair behind his ears, quickly flashing the ANBU hand signs of-

_Two-Konoha-Passive. Ten-Minutes. Act-Normal._

Itachi's eyes flicked away casually, recording the message while Orochimaru's widened then narrowed suspiciously. 

"Arashi-san, come help me fry the eggs." Itachi said nonchalantly. 

"Frying eggs?" Orochimaru raised his brows as if it was the most interesting thing he'd heard. "Do let me join as well." Arashi would've scoffed at their hopeless attempt in being subtle if he hadn't felt the wiggle of bashfulness in his gut.

The two ex-Konohans turned to look at him and their eyes projected a single: 'I need an explanation.'

_-Another minute later-_

Itachi growled, a feral noise that Arashi didn't think was capable of the emotionless boy that had fed him a crow, when a single bit of egg shell dropped onto the yolk.

He set it aside on the third plate and instead of getting the fourth egg, he turned to Arashi, raising the brow in the silent Uchiha gesture of: 'What the fuck.'

"It's Kakashi and Tenzo." Arashi rubbed the back of his head, a little ashamed. "Sorry?"

At the judgemental silence, he elaborated, "They were very insistent and Jiraiya might have gotten uh-" Arashi sighed. "It felt so long ago and so much happened..." His voice lowered until it was barely audible, "likekillingNagatoandKonanandObitoandthenthreateningJiraiyaoopsdon'tblameme..."

"Pardon?"

"I'll explain it all later but Jiraiya knows that you're with me anyway, I figured that... I made sure to give enough time if you want to avoid them. I don't mind whether you just explain it all or if you want to stay distant. It's up to you."

Orochimaru was picking at the first egg which yolk had broken, turning it into a half-fried, half-scrambled egg. "Child," He said demurely as he started to pick at the food more aggressively. "I am going to scramble your brains one day. That's if you have any."

He sputtered before settling for a: "What are you going to do?"

"First things first, Arashi." Orochimaru's eyes turned hard. "How do you even know the _Konoha_ ANBU hand signs?"

Itachi and Arashi look at each other before they both looked away. "I'm not a spy if that's what you're worried about. I can assure you that that story can come later."

"Now wait a moment-"

 _"Later._ " He said with a forceful smile. When Orochimaru gave a questioning look at Itachi, the boy gave a tilt of a head back in confirmation. The Sannin sighed with a mutter of 'well, my life couldn't get more crazy anyway.'

"I'll just explain the seal." Orochimaru said aloud. "I'm still feeling spiteful towards Danzo and want to breed as much doubt upon him as possible. If they don't believe me, then that's that. I don't care much for the young Hatake." The lack of 'or Tenzo' didn't go unnoticed. "You should be more concerned about Itachi."

The said boy gave a dramatic, old-man sigh, "Well Arashi-san has already destroyed my life plans, at this rate, I'm pretty sure you're going to kill Danzo too. Might as well spill my life story to everyone and Sasuke. I'll just give up."

"It's not give up, Itachi-chan." Arashi protested slightly. "It's called letting go of the toxicity of your life."

* * *

_-On the other side-_

"You're kidding me." Tenzo said with the sass Kakashi had never heard before this day. "Had he seriously told us to wait another _quarter_ _hour_ so that they could have a nice reunion? That's so sus!"

"He's hiding something." Kakashi interrupted. "If I would be audacious enough to assume we could, I would suggest we follow and spy on him. But I admit to him being far stronger than us."

"...That's the third time you've said that, Senpai."

Kakashi paused.

"And that's the third time you've complained about the time."

Inside though, Kakashi was relieved that this emotionless shinobi, Tenzo, was finally acting with a personality. When he was handed with the job to guide this 'ex-Kinoe', he was completely at a loss. The boy was just like a normal ROOT agent albeit with less of the immoral coldness. He could shoulder through anything and Kakashi would never find out until he would pass out from exhaustion.

But when Tenzo grumbled again, he might've _slightlyyy_ withdrawn that statement.

His eyes darted to a clock and they both raised from their restaurant table. "It's been fifteen minutes." Kakashi said and Tenzo nodded. 

"Ninpo: Kuchiyose." With a poof of smoke, Pakkun appeared with his bored expression, "Yo. What's up now, boss?"

"Same target." Kakashi sighed. "Unfortunately."

At least this time though, Arashi had left a clear trail for them to follow. It was kind of insulting to them both though.

* * *

...And when Kakashi and Tenzo arrive on the rooftop, spying through a crack in between the ceiling, they see:

Shizune and Tsunade- the two ex-Konoha citizens that Sandaime had failed to call back multiple times. The Sannin herself was _sober_ and her _necklace was missing._ And, oh, won't you look at that, it was on Arashi's neck the _entire time._

And speaking of Sannin, there was Orochimaru- _Orochimaru._ Orochimaru of the _goddamned fricking overpowered Sannin._ Kakashi halted in his disbelief to open his left eye, unveiling his Sharingan. In the same motion, he side eyes Tenzo's condition. When Tenzo gave a tense but confirmative nod, he turned back around-

An Uzumaki young girl with glasses- seemingly normal until she looked straight up at where they were observing, raising a completely unsurprised and judgemental brow. Instantly, the two highly trained, professional and seasoned ANBU assassins felt like idiots for spying.

She then casually turned to a blonde boy to yell at the mess he had made on the table. If Kakashi hadn't had his Sharingan exposed, he would've entirely missed how she used gestures to communicate their presences to the boy. The boy had only _minutely_ showed indication of surprise, hiding his reaction with the skill of a high level shinobi.

That's when it clicked.

 _Deidara._ The S-Rank Iwagakure shinobi that was infamous for his explosions. The two children proceeded to bicker violently, swear words tossed around so casually that Tenzo flushed from the vulgar context-

And flicking two fingers onto each child's foreheads, _Uchiha the fucking Itachi_ scolds them for their behaviour while Tsunade chuckled and slapped the Uchiha on the back, "No need to be so strict on those brats ne, Itachi-chan." 

Ok, has another Sannin gone rogue or did they both just hallucinate Tsunade pinching Itachi's cheeks fondly?

"Tsunade-sama, please stop with the- with everything. It is already demeaning and embarrassing with Arashi-san-" Itachi stopped when Arashi casually rolled his eyes.

"Mou, we're already so close, just call me Arashi-nii now, chibi-chan."

The Uchiha looking dejected. "Actually it ultimately does not matter. No one is on my side anyway." He muttered with a childishness Kakashi and Tenzo had never seen during his stoic days in ANBU. "Other than Orochimaru-sama, at least he has common sense." Itachi added.

"I'm on your side, Tachi-nii, hm!"

And- oh no, it was a comradery between villains, what were they going to do?

"Dei-baka," The girl adjusted her glasses, "Itachi-niisan is talking _about us._ By the way, can I break your finger for a second?" A gleam sparkled in her eye. "I think I finally got Tsunade-shishou's second step."

"Hm," Deidara extended his left hand which the ANBU realised was slightly burnt. "Hope you can fix it, Busu-chan." He drawled in an unimpressed tone.

Arashi's eyes immediately latched onto his hand- "Firecracker! I thought I bandaged that!"

"Foolish one," Orochimaru said and the two Konoha shinobi were surprised to hear the lack of sadism in it, "The boy wants to keep that scar. Believes it is a kind of... _art_ in his words."

"Then why did he give it to Karin?" Shizune deadpanned.

"Easy question, Shizu-neesan." Deidara replied, "I don't think Karin is good enough to fix it, hm. Let us see whether the mark of my art or her... healing-ness... will prevail, HM!"

"What was that?" She barked and a fist crashed down upon Deidara and the ground splintered under Karin's feet. The two ANBU nearly choked on their spit, especially when Tsunade pulled out a clipboard.

"Yes, yes, Shishou. Too much anger and not enough control." Karin waved and Tsunade beamed in approval. 

"Yes, you hit the nail. You released a burst of chakra throughout all your limbs. That wastes chakra and could temporarily damage your own coils especially since you're still developing. Don't worry too much about it, my adorable student. When everything crumbles and breaks after you attack someone," Tsunade's eyes flicked to the two ANBU's hiding spot. "It really gives off an intimidating vibe, right?"

Karin's eyes followed her Shishou's as she adjusted her glasses, light reflecting off the spectacles. "Right."

At that moment, they decided that they better move.

Tenzo and Kakashi moved to slide through the nearest window, dismayed but not surprised when every single figure in the room looked expectant of their arrival.

"So you finally come down huh?" Karin drawls with a bored tone.

"These people don't look all that amazing hm." Deidara nods as his unoccupied hand poked at his blob of white clay. 

"Don't say that, Dei-kun." Shizune says under her breath, "These two men are elite shinobi."

"Ah, I'm so proud." Arashi puts a hand over his mouth. "I knew you would be able to handle the situation in such a cool way."

"Danna!" Deidara whisper-screams, "You're embarrassing."

"Kakashi and... I don't think I know you, happuri boy." Tsunade waves a casual hand at Tenzo.

Tenzo felt the unbearable itch to put his ANBU mask back on, "Please call me Tenzo, Tsunade-hime." He very purposefully did not look at Orochimaru.

Kakashi gave a curt nod to Tsunade before his eyes landed on Itachi, whose eyes darted away in reply. "Arashi, I think we'll need a few explanations."

"Come," Orochimaru says primly, "We will discuss the matters elsewhere." The group then promptly followed the Rogue Sannin into the living room, taking tentative seats on the edge of the sofas. 

"So," Kakashi said, bored tone unbetraying of his raging emotions. He still gets the feeling that they all can tell that he was on the verge of a panic attack anyway. "Tell me why I shouldn't attack you right now."

"You can't." The Uzumaki girl points out as she shoved her glasses up her nose but it didn't sound like a threat. It sounded like a fact. Taking a look around, Kakashi and Tenzo both realise that the girl was completely correct. 

"Ok," He grits his teeth. "Correction: Tell me why you aren't a threat to us." 

"We are though hm." Deidara points out again, nibbling on an egg and manoeuvring around Karin's hands- "You just played around with your clay, baka. Don't eat with your hands, it's unhygienic." "Shut up, busu." "If you get ill, I'm not gonna look after you again." Deidara rolled his eyes before reiterating. 

"We-" He gestured around the room, "-are a threat to you hm. Try to deny it."

"Even _Deidara_ knows." Karin nodded solemnly. "Sorry mask-san, creepy eyes-san, you'll need to rephrase that."

"Just-" Kakashi groans. "Just tell me why Itachi isn't acting like a maniac that had committed genocide and why Orochimaru isn't acting like a megalomaniac scientist that pries open infants' bodies as a hobby?"

Instantly, everyone in the room jolted in defence of the two mentioned shinobi.

"How dare you hm?" Deidara shook his fist in defence while Karin chimed in with a: "That's right, you don't know anything! I'll tell you that Itachi-niisan and Orochi-sama are-"

"Hush now, child." Orochimaru daintily sipped from his cup. "Our own affairs are our own to handle."

Itachi shifted closer to the snake Sannin and Orochimaru patted his arm in return. Kakashi and Tenzo both unashamedly stared incredulously at the gesture.

"So?" Tenzo pushes.

"...It was by order of the Hokage." Itachi states bluntly and the room goes still. Tsunade mutters about how Arashi's tactlessness has been badly influencing others while Itachi blinks at them.

"Could you please repeat that? What was by the order..." Kakashi says with a strained tone. Itachi drew in a breath, before repeating with an irritated tone,

"Shisui and I reported the traitorous actions of the Uchiha clan to the Hokage. They were planning a coup d'état. Danzo tricked me into slaughtering my clan so as to spare my younger brother from the elimination. The Hokage was unaware of the order but carried it through by sending me into the Akatsuki to spy on them." Itachi drew in another breath and Arashi gave him a little pat on the back.

"However, the Hokage has failed to continue contact with me. Arashi-san destroyed my life plans and now, I believe it is the best course of action to re-evaluate my life priorities."

"I believe," Orochimaru cut in with an aggravated glint in his eyes. "Itachi had been abandoned in favour of keeping Danzo safe- or in Sarutobi-sensei's words, 'keeping Konoha safe'."

Tenzo looked like he had witnessed the world turn upside down while Kakashi merely looked contemplative. 

Kakashi had never understood why that mysterious young boy with eyes too old had done such a horrible thing. 'Look under the underneath.' He had always said yet he failed to draw such a simple connection.

He recalled how the stoic boy _(a boy, Kakashi, a boy. He was younger than you- that boy was thirteen when he killed his family)_ would never truly smile, never truly cheer. The _only_ one who could urge a genuine smile out of him was Shisui. The only other person who could draw out worry from his emotionless façade was Sasuke.

He recalled the unrest of the Village and how he had turned a blind eye to the Uchiha's deteriorating circumstance. He tried to imagine what he'd do in their position and could very much see one of the founding clans of Konoha turn their own back. The discrimination stemmed from Nidaime's reign and hadn't stopped.

Segregating them. Distancing them. Keeping an eye on them. 

And the management of the revolt... It was horribly unrighteous of Hokage-sama to do so. (To let _Itachi_ down the blade.)

He tried to remember the reasons as to why he had believed that 'Uchiha Itachi had murdered his entire clan to test his strength' and realised that _no one was surprised._

No one had been surprised that Uchiha Itachi could do it. If he was testing his strength, why hadn't he attacked the Hokage? Why did he kill shinobi and _civilians_ that were definitely weaker than him? 

Kakashi had believed the given reason because there was no way that anyone could kill their entire clan like that without being a cold-blooded murderer. (There was no way anyone could be loyal enough- strong enough- to carry through the order.)

The Curse of Hatred ran in the veins of Uchiha. Yet hatred was sprung from love. That deep, aching love of Uchihas that caused them to go to such _lengths_ for the ones they loved. Itachi would have done anything to protect Sasuke. Even if it meant destroying both of their worlds. 

'Look underneath the underneath.'

Kakashi thinks that he should start taking his own advice.

"Maa, I believe you, Kohai-kun." Kakashi gives an eye-smile and they all look taken aback at the sudden acceptance. Kakashi saw Arashi smiling warmly from the corner of his eye. Shaking himself from his stupor, Tenzo's resolve visibly hardens as he turned to the snake Sannin. 

Tenzo hated, feared, respected Orochimaru the Sannin. Kakashi and Tenzo both felt proud as he confronted the figure of his nightmares. 

"What do you have to say about yourself then, Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru smiles and begins his explanation.

* * *

_-After explanations and re-evaluations-_

"Orochimaru." Tenzo faced the Sannin alone. 

"...Tenzo." He replied quietly. 

The two sat in silence and Tenzo feels very irritated at the fact that Orochimaru still managed to look completely comfortable and casual despite his clear reluctance to talk to him.

"I don't forgive you." He said neutrally.

"I don't expect you to." Orochimaru shot back instantly. "I don't want you to." He added on in a softer tone.

"But I don't hate you." 

Tenzo gave a wan smile at the incredulous look Orochimaru shot at him. He felt pretty accomplished at making the unrufflable Sannin be ruffled. But it was true. Tenzo had no past memories, no meaning in life. He had only known that Orochimaru had caused those hot flashes of pain from his muffled childhood- the Hashirama cells had still been adjusting back then.

He never really hated Orochimaru for what he did to him. He hated Orochimaru more for what he did to the other children. For the children who died.

But when the Sannin had explained himself willingly being manipulated by Danzo, Tenzo had been surprised at the speed in which his hatred lifted. Tsunade-sama and Itachi had rooted for him. They all had rooted for him but Tsunade-sama and Itachi's word had held most credibility to him.

"You're a foolish child." Orochimaru hissed in an acidic tone. "Too kind for your own good." 

_"Human minds are delicate things."_ Tenzo remembered Orochimaru saying in the past. _"Humans as beings are too weak."_

Apparently Orochimaru had found out how to achieve his long awaited immortality but when he stares long and hard at the figure of his nightmares, he thinks that the Sannin looks just as fragile and delicate as what he claimed to be weak.

* * *

_-Meanwhile-_

"How's Sasuke?"

-Was the first thing out of Itachi's mouth. He couldn't help it, now that they knew the truth, he might as well leech as much as he could out of it.

"He's... alive." 

"If he wasn't, Danzo wouldn't be standing." Itachi suddenly intoned, face sliding blank. Kakashi felt unnerved at how quickly his expression had shifted. "And what else?"

Kakashi merely stares at him and then gives a breathy laugh when Itachi makes an impatient noise of irritation.

"Sandaime wants me to take him as a student because of... you know." He gestures at his eye. It was at these times where he wished he had brought his hitai-ate. He cursed Arashi for asking for that third request- he couldn't even hide behind his Inu mask.

"Do you think I'd be able to see him?" He whispered, barely audible. Kakashi stared at the Uchiha again- the tense shoulders, the eye bags, the desperation, the unusual paleness... 

Kakashi gets the image of a fiery haired man picking up bits and pieces of broken people and slowly building it into a strange but close knit family. Why? Was it the loneliness that seeped out of the man? Was it the-

"How old is Arashi, Itachi?"

Itachi shot him a look and Kakashi doesn't budge. Looking past his old and mature expression, Arashi should be around his age, did he live through the Uzushio annihilation? 

"I think he had said he was twenty four." Itachi relented with a suspicious eye. _Twenty-four_ and already moving on with his life, helping others and smiling. Kakashi on the other hand, had lived in his own shadows ever since the incident more than a decade ago. Clan wiped out and-

Oh.

"How old are you?"

"You know that already, Taicho-" Itachi cuts himself off as the old title rolled in his mouth. "You know."

"Tell me." Kakashi's blank voice almost sounds pleading and the boy looks away.

"I'm fifteen."

Itachi hadn't yet finished his growth spurt, his eyes hadn't slimmed completely yet and he was- he was still in the middle of adolescence. Kakashi was fourteen when he lost the last of his (self proclaimed) family. ~~Dad~~ , ~~Obito~~ , ~~Rin~~... then ~~Kushina-san~~ ("Call me 'nee-chan!" He could still hear her voice.) and ~~Minato-sensei.~~

Itachi was younger than him when-

He remembered how tightly Rin's blood had stuck to his palms. (Times that by a hundred, what do you get, Kakashi?)

"And how old were you during that incident?"

Itachi sounds wounded and Kakashi feels selfish for making him relive the memories, "Thirteen."

He closes his eyes and tries to imagine downing his hand upon his parents and his kinsmen. 

"Itachi," Kakashi says lowly, "How are you so strong?"

"On the contrary, Taic- Hatake-san." Itachi replies evenly. "I think I'm quite weak."

And with that, the conversation ended abruptly.

* * *

_-Unknown-_

And as each shinobi takes one step closer to their destination and their home, Tetsu was preparing something. 

Her Eternal Mangekyo hadn't been awoken yet, Mother hadn't had enough chakra for that. 

_“Trust in me, Zetsu, Tetsu.” Kaguya had raised her voice slightly. **“I will defeat Indra.”**_

_They both swallow nervously at the show of killer intent. 'But Mother,' They had been tempted to say, 'Forming the Rinnegan and recreating Hakone's advanced Dojutsu will take too much chakra. There's no way you can defeat-'_

_But that was the wrong thing to say. Mother was strong and intelligent. The Uchiha was completely drained and there was nothing he could do but lay on the ground bleeding out. It was only a matter of time before his hold on his personal dimension would loosen._

_It would take just a single stab... and then death._

_"Asura is ours, Mother." Tetsu enthused. "Your enemies will finally die and peace will finally be achieved."_

_Kaguya drew them both into an embrace, “Yes yes that's right. Tetsu.” Her head turned to the mentioned figure, "You have the potential to unlock Hakone's ultimate ability," Her voice lowered even more, "I'm afraid to say that: you know what to do."_

Of course she knew... 

"Elder Brother?"

"What is it, Tetsu?"

Her voice rumbled with power as the accumulative chakra she had stored suddenly flared to life. 

" **Don't move.** " 

Her Sharingan glowed and the air stopped for a second. Zetsu's consciousness snuffed out, his eyes now clouded over and unresponsive. 

"Ara," Tetsu spoke to her Brother's prone figure. "That wasn't hard at all. I'll be taking... this." She plucked out the Rinnegan before replacing it with her own, staggering under the sudden demanding chakra.

" **Elder Brother?** " Her Sharingan span mercilessly and Zetsu's consciousness returned with an anger like never before- 

"What are you _doing,_ Te-"

" **Kill yourself.** " She shaped herself to form a cute smile.

The Cheshire grin widened as a spray of black inky substance rained upon the ground. She patted the black puddle of goop that used to be her Brother and absorbed his life chakra, feeling power and more power resting within her figure.

A minute passed before she started to laugh madly, her blood was boiling, her insides were wringing themselves and- _shehadkilledElderBrother, she had killed her Elder Brother-_

"Ahh..." She sighed blissfully, "So this is the brilliance of the Eternal." The menacing pattern twisted and thrummed in her eye and Tetsu had never felt so powerful before.

Step Two: Killing Zetsu- Complete.

"You there," She pointed and Kisame's body jolted, "Not you, sharkie, you. Yes, the red one. Go fetch me more corpses, all the good ones are sealed." Tetsu sighed, maybe she should've let Zetsu live a bit longer to deal with the boring stuff... nah. It was more fun to do everything by herself. 

Patience was never her big point but Tetsu wanted the final battle to be magnificent- worthy of Mother and her enemies. Maybe a few years or so later, she would gather all the ancient warriors and shinobi to attack that single, unkillable man- for the final stand.

If he's as strong as she imagines, he'll be able to put a decent fight against the dolls she collected. If he couldn't... then Tetsu would just destroy all Five Great Nations! Otherwise it wouldn't be fun, would it?

"Uzumaki Naruto." Tetsu narrowed her eyes and hissed to herself. "I'm going to kill him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um ok. i suck at writing. lemme just tell u that theres a reason i put in so many extra villains.
> 
> also i changed a lot of minor details as i actually didnt watch the filler episodes w itachi n the coup
> 
> hope it was a good read (it was super long oops)
> 
> just a note even tho no one asked: arashi's fake surname of 'kazama' is for everything that wasnt mentioned eg, buying food, staying at a place, asking for directions, befriending random civilians etc. he didnt have a name for when he was mass murdering criminals.  
> everyone will seem to know arashi's uzumaki status cuz all the ppl who will kno will b sorta important


	19. (clearing the mist)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is not an important chapter, its basically what happened between the 'two days' the was mentioned lol.
> 
> just to summarise all the points: arashi goes to mizu and befriends haku and zabuza then brings them to kiri to wake up yagura (the mizukage that was under genjutsu)  
> they get on good terms and then arashi leaves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> like the summary says, u can skip over this chapter, this is kinda like a 'filler' if you might. there still will be references for it but it doesnt rly matter that much.
> 
> in the middle of the chapter, there will be something like:  
> "Query-Complication-Rank." those are hand signals and if u dont get it, there will be a translation at the end notes. if u dont care, then... have a good read i guess

_-Way to rendezvous point-_

Kakashi got the unbearable itch to beat Tenzo over the head after the fifteenth time he side glanced at him.

Uzumaki Arashi had informed them that he would be busy and mentioned a meeting spot before he had promptly disappeared. Increasingly irritated yet still determined to carry out their mission, the two ANBU had obviously headed towards the location.

_"I'm going to run an errand, it'll be quick."_

_"Wha-"_

_"I'll meet you in this place-" Arashi tapped a location on a map, "-in around a day's time._ _Bye bye Hatake-san, Tenzo-san."_

_"Wait a second-"_

Kakashi was fine with the tedious travelling but he was _not_ fine with Tenzo looking at him with the subtlety of a rhino. He looked at a stray branch just a dozen metres in front of him and pressed back the urge to whack Tenzo with it.

In lieu of doing it, he signed in ANBU hand signals.

_Query-Complication-Rank._

Tenzo nearly missed the next branch and the itch turned more noticeable. 

_You-Unstable-Mind._

Kakashi held back the urge to roll his eyes, the eye holes in the ANBU mask could only show so much after all.

_Negative._

Kakashi got the feeling that Tenzo was scowling at him. 

_Negative._ Tenzo responded back. _Target-Affect. Query-Reason._

After a few beats of contemplative silence, Kakashi opted to signal-

_Target-Abnormal. Additional-Uzumaki._

Tenzo rolled his eyes so dramatically that Kakashi could see his mask physically shift. 

_Information-Confirmed._

In other words: 'Oh well, no _shit-_ duh.'

Kakashi twitched his fingers- _Target-Extreme-Abnormal. Dismissed._

He gathered more chakra under his soles and shot forward.

* * *

_-Meanwhile in Land of Water-_

"It's lovely." 

"Thank you, mister." Haku smiles down at his bouquet of handpicked flowers. Arashi gives a smile at his innocence and brightness- despite the things Haku had been through...

Then a dark expression flashes across Haku's face so abruptly that Arashi nearly raised his brows. "I forgot... I shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not?"

"It is of no use to my master." Haku frowned despondently before throwing the flowers. 

"Your master?" 

"Mister, do you... have a precious person?" The young boy peers up at him then elaborated, "Someone you want to protect?"

"Too many, yet now, none at all." Arashi gives a low chuckle at Haku's questioning look. There's a slight moment of motionlessness before comprehension dawned onto Haku. The boy presses his lips together, eyebrows drawn downwards in thought. Haku was probably wondering why Arashi was still alive. 

(Since he had failed so many people.)

"I live. For many things. For their dreams and goals and for their life's purpose." Arashi smiled again when realisation appears on Haku's expression.

"That's why mister's presence is so strong." Haku nods slowly, "You became stronger to protect your precious people even after their passing. That's... brave of you." He looks back down at his hands, calloused and blistered, too roughened for a small boy. "If I lost my master, I don't think I could live without him."

"I'm not strong just because of them, kid." He looks into Haku's confused eyes. "I'm strong because I also have to live for myself. An empty weapon is not sharp weapon at all."

"An emotional weapon isn't a fatal one." The boy instantly counters. 

"That's for you to find out." Arashi lowers himself onto the grass, sitting cross-legged.

"I'm not sure, mister, I don't need to find out anything as long as I can serve under my master."

"I think that's pretty admirable," Arashi huffs, blowing a Henge-d brown strand of hair out of his face. "Loyalty... devotion... Ties hand in hand with 'Team'."

"Team?"

"'Team' for shinobi, protectors, soldiers..." He leans in slightly, "It's deeper than any other bond. It's more than family, it's more than friendship... It's... well, Team."

There's a few seconds of hope and _awe_ on the boy's face before it's snuffed out. Haku gives a dark, bitter laugh, "My master has no such bond to me. I am merely his tool. A weapon to use and to dispose of once I'm useless."

Arashi doesn't reply, instead he picks up a blue daisy from Haku's discarded bundle-

_"Felicia." Ino recites without a single beat of hesitation as Sakura twirled a flower between her fingers. "Happiness, innocence, purity..."_

_"Perfect!" Sakura juts the stem end on top of Ino's head. "It matches your eyes."_

_"Idiot Forehead!" Ino shrieks, batting off her hand, though the smile on her face betrayed her reprimand. "You're meant to do it behind the ears, do you not know how to act romantic?"_

_"Holy- why am I here again?" He had rolled his eyes, disrupting their banter. "I thought I was here for the medicinal plant, not to be the third wheel for your flirting. I hope I'm still getting paid."_

_"Wow, ~~Naruto~~ , way to ruin a moment-" Sakura rolls her eyes back._

_"-Listen Sakura dearest, you'd need to do better than that for it to be a 'moment'." Ino raises a finger in a lecturing pose. "Psychologically-"_

_He had very loudly cleared his throat and then all of a sudden, Sakura's playfulness had disappeared, sass returning like it had never left. "Oh yeah, chop chop. Hurry along and remember not to... don't stick it in your mouth- god DAMN IT, NAR-"_

"Felicia." Arashi spun the stem between his index and thumb, cutting out of his memories. He raised his hand to tap the petals on his lips- the habit never leaving him even after months of being forced into herb picking. 

_(" ~~Naruto~~." Sakura had said with a mock severe tone. "I'm afraid to tell you that you've been diagnosed with a flower disease." Her face had then turned mischievous. "Only idiots who don't know when to stop eating wild herbs will catch it.")_

"Happiness, innocence, purity." Haku piped up before drooping again. "It's a useless habit." He sighed. "Flower meanings are of no use to my master."

"Stop with the 'no use to my master'." He sighed back, "Does it make you happy?"

"...Sort of?"

"Have you ever considered if your happiness was 'of use' to your precious person?" Arashi gave a helpless smile at the small boy.

If it was possible, Haku drooped even more, "A shinobi must not let their emotions hinder their actions." The words came yet again but this time, they sounded more monotonous and reluctant.

Arashi stared at Haku for a while longer before turning away, "I don't know then, after all, I _am_ a civilian-merchant." He inwardly snickered when he saw Deidara in Haku's stupefied stare.

"And you know what we call that back where I come from?" A voice rumbled as a body loomed over Arashi and he tilted his head back from where he was sitting, staring up at the ex-Kiri Nin, completely unruffled.

Haku gasped and scrambled up to his feet.

"Zabuza-sama."

"We call that 'moonshine on water'... Well at least those stuffy nobles do. I think it roughly translates to... bullshit." Zabuza grinned a nasty grin. "Care to repeat that, little soft boy?" He felt his fingers twitch at the 'little' in his dubbed title. 

"Momochi..." Arashi dusted off the inexistent dirt from his clothes, slowly rising to a stand. "Zabuza."

Arashi then clapped his hands together, smiling a fake, angelic smile, "I'm heading to Kiri, care to join me?"

Zabuza's posture didn't visibly change at all at his words- truly a seasoned shinobi, "I don't know, boyo." A feral expression takes over his face. "Why would I want to?"

* * *

_-A few minutes later-_

"Admit it." Arashi raised a brow, "You _were_ worried about Haku-kun. Otherwise why else would you have appeared so fast?"

"Hmph."

"That wasn't a denial, you can't fool me, cow-arms."

"Stop calling me that."

"Payback is a bitch, eyebrows."

The S-Rank Nuke-Nin groaned. "You have the creativity of a child, civilian-chan."

"Could say the same, bitch- oh no sorry, _cow_."

"I can't even believe I'm doing this... Can you remind me again- how did you convince me that the Mizukage was under a Genjutsu?"

"Do not worry, Zabuza-sama. If the mister is lying, you can merely kill him."

Arashi gave a hesitant chuckle at that. "A bit dark, Haku-kun?"

"Who said I was worrying?" Zabuza snapped, "And there's no need to call me 'sama'. I'm no pretentious noble."

"Per your wishes, Zabuza-sama."

The said man gave an aggravated grunt.

"Haku-kun, that was amazing- I give a ten." Arashi mock applauded.

"Arashi-san has no need to add honorifics to my name." Haku giggled before producing a bow worthy of a concertmaster, "Haku-kun is quite the mouthful."

"...Hakkun." Arashi determined and Haku beamed back up at him. 

Zabuza groaned again.

* * *

Arashi pressed his lips together as he Shunshins in small bursts straight to the Mizukage's office, manoeuvring around the patrolling shinobi.

"Yoo hoo." He greeted lightly, heedless of the dozens of weapons being drawn. "Has the Genjutsu been removed?" 

"Who are you and what are you here for?" Ao demanded.

"Passive intentions. No affiliations that you would care of." Arashi raised his hands even though in this shinobi area, the motion did almost nothing to hinder movements. "I defeated the Genjutsu caster, it was only a matter of time..." 

"Why did you come here then?" Mei narrowed her eyes, the casualness that Arashi once had seen wasn't present. Instead, there was only weariness and exhaustion on her face. 

"I defeated Kisame and obtained the Samehada." Arashi paused, biting his lip. Technically, this was stealing credit from Itachi, but it would be a horrible idea to draw attention to him at this point of time.

"I understand the Kiri protocol on the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and their weapons being passed onto their victors if they happened to be defeated, however, I lack the skill and motive to use Samehada. I wish to return it to its homeland for a better suited wielder and to also check on the Yondaime Mizukage."

At his last words, majority of the shinobi readied their weapons again. Suddenly, an influx of memories invaded his mind and Arashi gave a lackadaisical wave. 

"Actually, never mind. It's fine now. I just removed the remnants of the Genjutsu." Arashi casually stretched an arm. "Your guards suck and whoever tried to dispel it also sucks by the way."

"I-..." Mei started. "Just- Just come to my office. We'll sort out the annoying formal stuff there. Ao, it's fine."

* * *

_-Half a day later-_

Ao, Mei, Zabuza and Arashi all leaned forward to crane over Yagura's face when he finally stirred. 

"Oww..." He groaned, before he screeched. "I'm going to shove those stupid eyeballs down his throat, arGHHH- stupid bastard!"

Mei slumped in relief. "Finally, it's all good."

"Looks like Zabuza-sama has no need to kill Arashi-san." Haku placed a hand on his chest as he sighed.

"The insanity has become reality- what is life?" Zabuza face palmed.

"Mei?" Yagura narrowed his eyes, "Ao? Is that... Zabuza? And his little puppy?"

"Little puppy-" Zabuza and Haku startled.

"And... someone."

"Arashi." He provided with a smile.

"Good gods, Yagura." Mei rolled her eyes, "You owe me so many punches for the _hell_ you've put us through. I _knew_ something was wrong."

"None of those barbaric 'love taps', thanks. My head is killing me." Yagura slapped his forehead as he groaned again. "Leave alone, Mei."

"Alone?" She gasped as if it was the most horrible thing in the world- it probably was to her. "I won't be alone! Curse you, infant, for dare suggesting such a ludicrous proposal." Arashi nearly let out a fond smile at her dramatics- he almost missed them.

"Yes, yes how old are you now? Time flies when you're under the thumb of a megalomaniac- and no, that doesn't mean it was fun, it means I was mind-fucked." 

"You're Mizukage, stop whining. And don't you know not to ask a fair maiden her age? How rude-"

"So you admit that you're still single for such an old harpy-"

Mei shoved her face back into the close proximity of Yagura's nose and smiles sweetly, "Insult me again and I'll take that hat of yours- in the traditional Kiri way."

Four of them share commiserating looks as the two continue to scuffle, and somehow it ends with them hugging each other like their lives depended on it- Mei awkwardly half-crouching down and Yagura awkwardly reciprocating.

"...Still got that ogre strength, don't you Mei?" Yagura wheezed. "I could bet that you still haven't managed to trap a poor man into being your husband."

"Hah," She responded in a watery voice. "Don't complain, this is probably the only time you'll ever get close to a woman, shrimpy."

* * *

"Mizukage-sama, you are still recovering from the displacement of your chakra from the effects of the long-term Genjutsu, it would be unwise for you to return to desk so soon-"

"Ao, shut up," Yagura scrunched up his face. "I'm a Kage and a Jinchuuriki."

"Apologies for my impudence, Mizukage-sama."

"You're really stiff now."

"...My apologies, Mizukage-sama."

* * *

"Mizukage." Arashi acknowledged a while later as they both awkwardly sat face to face in the Mizukage office. 

"Red Hurricane... of Blood." The man returned. "Although... I just recently learned of your epithet- it's rather gruesome, no?"

He made a face, "It's Arashi. Why did you want to see me?"

"...Curiosity?" 

"If a Kage had died for that reason, they'd become a laughingstock."

"Oh?" Yagura lifted both brows, "Was that a threat?"

"Of course not."

"I see. Well, I'm saying that like I didn't already know." There was a hard glint in his eyes, "I _am_ pretty curious though... Why is Isobu so restless?"

Arashi's face very carefully didn't react.

"Storytelling?" Arashi gave a small laugh after the short, tense stare off. "I'd better get paid handsomely."

They eyed each other once again, Yagura's face blank as he was sorting through his thoughts.

"No, no, nothing of the tedious sorts." The Kage's expression turned sheepish. "Just... what of the Nations now?"

Arashi's shoulders subconsciously lowered in relief. 

"Well, I'm sure it's in a mess but I haven't really bothered to catch up with all the news." He started. "I killed off quite a few S-Ranks-"

* * *

"There is no need for you to stay here." Yagura said all of a sudden.

"What? Kicking me out already?"

"You know what I mean." Yagura gave Arashi a pointed look at his reply. "You can go now. There’s a place you seek to be." Arashi subtly glanced at the clock and wondered whether or not Tenzo and Kakashi would ditch him for being late. (He remembered telling his kids that he'd be back in less than a week.)

"Maa, there's always a place I seek to be." Arashi grinned. "Like a dango stop."

Yagura made a face at that, "It rots your teeth."

"...You're really old-man for a chibi."

Not taking the bait, the Kage rolled his eyes, "Stop it. You can go already, you've done enough."

Arashi knew that the words referred to his large sum of donation to support the Village, his finding of Haku and Zabuza and his Bunshin working to round up the last remaining rebels and criminals... but it felt like the Kage was referring to his future. His goals. 

_'You've done enough.'_

No he hadn't, Arashi thought. But it was reassuring to hear those words anyway.

"Besides," Yagura blew a raspberry, utterly shattering the atmosphere. "I'm a Kage, I can deal with my own stuff."

"I heard that Mizukage-sama!" Ao said from outside, "I'll take your word for it."

"You sound like a kid, Yagura!" Mei's voice joined in. "I thought it was only your appearance but maybe I'll need to readjust your personal file. You sound about _ten_ to me!"

"Of course they were eavesdropping," Yagura gave a desperate smile. "Of course."

* * *

"Kirigakure, no, the entire Nation is in your debt, Arashi-san." Ao sent him off solemnly as he stood on the border of Kiri. "If you are in need, we will welcome you. We will never forget this."

Arashi merely smiled. 

_"There is no need for you to stay here."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Query-Complication-Rank. = What's your problem? (and how bad is the problem?)  
> Negative = I don't have a problem.  
> Negative = Denied. (saying 'no' to kakashi's 'no')  
> Target-Affect-Query-Reason = why are you affected by arashi, whats the reason (no not hinting at a ship, go away.)  
> Target-Abnormal = arashi is weird  
> Additional-Uzumaki. = he's also an uzumaki
> 
> lowkey confusing myself.  
> welp not like it would come up again anyway  
> if u read this chapter, congrats, why did you?  
> 


	20. a series of events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> at first, it's kakashi pov af- it's going to be the last (major) one so... it's super long ehe
> 
> it's also heavily time-skip-y...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and yes, i changed things
> 
> and no, do not question anything
> 
> sorry if there're grammar mistakes, sometimes im too tired to reread it lmao.  
> if u see one, comment if u can be bothered otherwise ples ignore it :D
> 
> also sorry my updates are sometimes fortnightly, school is a bitch and... well yeah. i have a shit ton of extra curric performances arghhhh and concerts ARGHHHHH ok ignore my complaining
> 
> i do make it up by posting two chapter tho, so dont be too mad hehe

_-Kakashi-_

It was easy getting lulled into the comradery of the Red Hurricane. 

The atmosphere was so weirdly _domestic_ for a group of overpowered shinobi- both honoured ones and Nuke-Nin.

Tsunade was the drunk aunt- and Kakashi meant that with as much respect as possible, Orochimaru was the- well, Kakashi wasn't insane enough to call him an _uncle_ or anything but he was like a guardian, levitating creepily in the shadows, Shizune was like an older cousin who absolutely did not want to interact with her family yet was attached still the same, Itachi was like the exhausted older brother- or more like a nanny, trying to scramble up the two menaces of Karin and Deidara while Arashi would just cheer them on on the sidelines. 

Deidara was childish, reminding him of Naruto with his bright features and brighter personality but he was different from Minato-sensei's son in how he _smiled._ Deidara smiled like he knew he was loved- because he was. He was protective of his people- strangely, Itachi most of all, he had fun bickering with Karin, he respected and loved Arashi and he had strange attachments to both the Sannin. It sent a pang of guilt in Kakashi as he wondered if Naruto would smile genuinely like Deidara if he had someone- anyone. 

Kakashi would've liked to say Karin was a normal girl but despite her lack of having an eight digit bounty on her head, she honestly wasn't. Neither Tenzo nor Kakashi had missed the array of scars that peaked out of her long sleeves. No one had missed the way Arashi's eyes had stared at them challengingly, or how Tsunade and Shizune had narrowed their eyes in anger, Deidara's face stilling into a scary blank mask and Itachi and Orochimaru falling into a silent brood.

There was a tinge of... something that was always present in Arashi's eyes and maybe no one else saw it, but Kakashi could recognise a fellow man- someone who had gone through war and bloodshed and stupid (completely necessary) sacrifices.

In other words, Kakashi could recognise that at some point of time, Uzumaki Arashi had lost everything.

Kakashi could also see how the _something_ would fade a bit every time he laughed at Karin barking heatless threats at Deidara, or every time he tauntingly patted Itachi on the head like a child then chuckle when the teen would bristle back at him. 

There were times where he would stare off into the distance, his emotions visibly flickering and then Tsunade would call out a worried: "Red? Are you good?"

Then his face would ease into a tight but sincere smile, "Don't worry, Obasan, I'm sparkling as always." Tsunade's eyes had then flicked to his white-knuckled grasp around the Shodaime's necklace and then she would stroll over to slap him on the back comfortingly.

Well, it shook the dust off the ceiling so Kakashi was quite hesitant to use the word 'comforting'.

Kakashi felt a tad jealous and regretful because Arashi had the eyes of someone who had once had nothing, but he had gained it back- not all, but some. How he had the _willpower_ to do so was beyond him. 

He could not summon up the cruelty to ruin it all.

He had been with them for less than a day and he was already prepared to fight for them.

That realisation _scared_ him. He wasn't one to be easily swayed in the first place.

If he had been initially confused about why Itachi and Orochimaru would tell them about their private life stories, he wasn't now. It was because they all knew that Kakashi and Tenzo would side with them. Kakashi knew that deep down, if Hokage-sama asked for a full report, he wouldn't give all the details. (He wouldn't give half the information he should've. Who could? After once again seeing the darker edge of Konoha... and how Hokage-sama failed to dissolve it.)

He would be like Jiraiya-sama, elusive and absolutely unhelpful. He would try to convince Arashi to come to Konoha- to see his relative. Naruto. If Arashi had truly lost all his family and clan... then wouldn't it be inhumane of Kakashi to prevent Arashi from meeting one of his clan's survivors?

He rocked back onto his heels and leant against the wall, eyeing the group over the cover of his book.

It was so homey, so comfortable.

It was almost comfortable enough for Kakashi to miss the eccentric signs of nostalgia in Arashi's eyes. The way his eyes softened slightly when Kakashi had tried to aggravate him and flipped open the book- and _yes_ even ANBU missions wouldn't pry those masterpieces off his hands- and the way he gave a light chuckle at Kakashi's exaggerated carelessness... strange.

Yes, Uzumaki Arashi was strange indeed. 

He had seen many shinobi raising their brows, wondering how such a lackadaisical man could be a legend. Even Hokage-sama sometimes forgets that Kakashi was a cold-blooded soldier. 

The ones who did know him- like the next generation of Jonin who were soon going to become Senseis- could meet his eyes with a certain type of respect but there was still a distinct edge of pity in them for they knew of ~~Rin and Obito~~ ~~and Minato-sensei~~. Majority of the Elite would just furrow their brows and wonder how ~~Friend-Killer~~ Kakashi of the Sharingan was so lazy and perverted and boring. 

Arashi could meet his eyes but they were neutral. They didn't hold respect nor disdain, kindness nor hostility, they were not pitying but understanding and Kakashi didn't know what it was that this man had understood about him. They seemed empty yet full of contained emotions.

It was a feeling of detached warmth. 

"Come to Konoha." He said again and this time it wasn't a formal invitation- it was a request out of genuine intrigue.

'Meet your nephew.' He _almost_ said.

* * *

_-Arashi-_

"No." Arashi replied instantly, back still turned from where he was playing shogi with Tenzo. Instantly, six pairs of eyes drilled into Arashi.

"You are an Uzumaki." Surprisingly, it was Orochi-snake-wad who spoke first. "You know that Uzushio were our- I mean, Konoha's old allies. Meet with the Hokage in the very least."

"That's right, _eventhoughhe'sanoldshitandIhatehimsomuch,_ ahem, I know that my art instils FEAR in many people, so I can't come with you... but I don't want to hold back Kazama-danna hm."

"H-huh?" Arashi gaped after coming to a realisation, "Are you guys trying to kick me out?"

Karin pushed up her glasses with a sniff, "Don't act like all that, Itachi-niisan told us how you wanted to go-"

"No I didn't!" He swivelled around quickly, "Itachi-chaaan, false newwwss..."

"Yes you did." Itachi pointed out. "Remember on the night after we met Tsunade-hime?"

_"Arashi-san is planning on going to Konoha?" Itachi had asked._

_"Soon," He had confirmed._

Well shit.

"I... changed my mind." He offered blandly.

"Well," Deidara said, pointing a clay covered finger at Arashi, "We haven't hm."

"What-"

"Red, Red, Red." Tsunade tutted as she strolled over, slinging an arm around Arashi and peering at the shogi board. "What are we going to do with you? I'm planning on stealing Karin for a while-"

"Secluded training trip- she's a new disciple and all," Shizune piped in.

"And Orochi is going to pock around Itachi and Deidara's Kekkei Genkai- _no,_ not like that, get that terrifying vindictive look of your face, Red- and get them stronger per their requests-"

"You make me sound like a crazy scientist, Tsunade." Orochimaru scoffed. "It's not like I'll fantasise over their chakra systems and drool over their blood-"

"Disgusting snake-face." Arashi muttered.

"-I'm just going to _train_ them to burn off spare Nuke-Nin time. Heavens pray."

"I need to become stronger hm!" Deidara cheered. "Strong enough to beat Danna HMM!"

"Me too." Itachi said with determination. "To protect the lives of Sasuke, all of you and the Village."

"So that's that: I'm with Shishou and Shizu-nee." Karin listed off. "Dei-baka and Itachi-niisan are with Orochi-sama. And so-"

"-Danna will be all alone." Deidara concluded.

"And that's where we come in." Kakashi interjected smoothly.

"...Rejected!" Arashi gasped at the sudden epiphany. "I'm being rejected! Is this how you are going to treat your amazing Arashi? ...It's ok though, I can just-" He drifted towards a window he could escape from, "I can just float around, doing a bit o' pest control here n' there. Leave poor me all alone. Fine fine, I'll just visit some nice hot springs in Yuga-"

"But- but-" Deidara blubbered. "But not Konoha? Tachi-nii said you'll be lonely and sad, he said you wanted to _badly_ go to that Konoha place, we arranged everything to be PERFECT HM! Don't make our efforts be in _vaiinnnn..._ "

"...By the sun goddess..." Arashi dropped his head backwards, looking heavenward. "More psychological guilt tripping lessons, hag?"

"Damn you, pipsqueak." She automatically shoots back. "And yes, of course. That brat has so much untapped potential in mental warfare. If he wasn't so gung-ho about getting the 'most art out of his artful explosions' then _I_ woulda stolen him with Karin."

"Uzumaki-san, don't you want to come?" Tenzo's eyes were ever so creepily terrifying and Arashi resisted the urge to grin at the familiar expression. "Konoha is a very friendly place."

At that, Arashi couldn't help but smile fondly. Yamato-taicho was just so endearing sometimes. He could tell that he had genuinely enjoyed being on Team 7 with Sai and Sakur-

(Both Kakashi and Tenzo gave him a weird look and Arashi smiled again, cutting himself out of his own thoughts.)

"Maa, I don't like getting drawn into the drama of the Five Great Nations." Arashi moved another shogi piece casually while Tenzo's stare turns incredulous.

"You say that while you're housing two thirds of the Legenda-"

Arashi cackled.

* * *

_-Later-_

"You aren't escaping this, Arashi-san." 

"Call me Arashi-nii."

The two sat on the rooftop, legs swinging over the edge.

"If you stay at Konoha for a bit, I'll call you that." Itachi wouldn't say he _pouted,_ but at this rate, he could say he would be doing it in the near future. His stoic reputation had been long since tarnished after all.

"Even relying on underhanded tactics? I've underestimated you, chibi."

Itachi nodded in agreement, "Honour plays no role in front of duty. I say as I must."

"...What?" Arashi shook his head. "This is _mutinyyy_ , Itachi-chan. Did you even know what Orochimaru did?"

"Where?"

"In my world."

Itachi put on a strange expression, "See, you keep doing that."

"Doing what?"

"You still aren't..." He paused, "I don't know how to explain it. Your old world isn't meant to be 'your world', well it is, but it isn't anymore... if that makes sense. This world is your world too, Arashi-san. Don't avoid the inevitable."

"I know, I know." Arashi shook his head again.

"No, Arashi-san, you don't know. As soon as you entered this realm, this world had shifted for you to coexist here with your counterpart. The people here are your people still, they're still _real_ even if they aren't the kind you remember."

Arashi gave a petulant sigh, "You're too mature for your own good, Itachi-chan. I guess I'd have to meet them sooner or later. I just hope that they don't greet me with a shuriken to the face." 

"...What _did_ you do anyway?" Itachi deadpanned.

Arashi's face turned pinched before he hesitated,

"Actually, before all that. I think it's time to explain things to Tsunade and Orochimaru." 

* * *

Don't think stupid things.

Obviously, Arashi wasn't prepared to explain the time travel mess to more than the absolute necessary. But Kurama will need to be explained, so will his relation to Konoha.

His artfully concocted 'life' was a messy tangle of white lies and alibis and he honestly felt disgusted about not telling the truth but he didn't feel _right_ talking about the Before. 

Even if Hagoromo had stated that 'with his approval', the abnormal warping of space-time wouldn't have repercussions, it still wasn't something that should be spoken of.

And so, Arashi smoothed over his loyalties and opinions, his morals and his insights. Nothing of his backstory, nothing of the past. The two Sannin knew better than to question that.

And with the Kyuubi's chakra... well...

"You know they're made of entirely chakra, right?" Arashi blinked at the two while Itachi watched emotionlessly at the exchange. 

"Hmmm, yes. But it was just a very strong theory. The Bijuu were always a mystery and you have to understand the limits of my- of Konoha." Orochimaru raised a brow.

"Uzumaki Mito had the Kyuubi. Then Kushina." Arashi listed off. "I don't know what happened after the Kyuubi attack in mid-October but there were remnants of chakra lying all over the place."

"And so?"

"And so, it needed to be cleaned up but there was no time to gather it all together so they just dumped it into a seal. Obviously, those amateur seals would wear down so they were chucked into Uzushio where it had an abundance of Nature Chakra where the 'evil' chakra could 'dissipate'."

Arashi paused, murmuring a "dumbass Konohan know nothing" before continuing. 

"An Uzumaki vessel is probably the best vessel but even then, a single person could not hold onto all of that power without suffering repercussions. There were separate seals in Uzushio which were carrying parts of the Kyuubi's chakra to lessen the Jinchuuriki's burden. I just gathered all of them and stuffed them into myself."

"And you became a Jinchuuriki." Tsunade concluded slowly.

"Yes." Arashi gave a demure smile. "But since the being is made of chakra entirely, I decided to provide him my chakra to recuperate."

"Well, that makes sense." Tsunade muttered dazedly. "You do have Kages worth of chakra..."

"Hmm," He hummed in agreement, "It didn't take long before I befriended him and now we're best buddies."

It was at that moment when the previous few sentences caught up to Tsunade's brain.

"...Sorry?" Tsunade _wheezed._

"It didn't take long before I befrie-"

"Nah nah nah. Don't repeat it."Tsunade gave a slightly deranged smile before she turned to her stash of alcohol, muttering, "Ah, sweet children, what could I do without my beautiful sake?"

Somehow... after a few more hurried explanations, it turned out like this:

"...Can I meet the Kyuubi for a moment?" Orochimaru's eyes twinkled. 

"Damnit Orochimaru!" Tsunade snapped. "Can't you have a normal reaction to insane things once in a while?"

 **"Hello snake."** Kurama grinned maliciously as he shoved aside Arashi's consciousness. **"Hurt one of the brats and I'll eat you-"**

"Stop threatening to eat people Kurama!" Arashi slapped himself awake with a gasp of exaggerated horror. 

"Aww he cares for Deidara, Karin and Itachi." Tsunade cooed at Arashi once she got over her moment of shock. "That's sweet."

**"You better raise them to become delectable snacks, old bag."**

"Fuck you, you're older!"

**"I don't like talking to wrinkly meat bags."**

"Tsunade-hime is arguing with a chakra beast about age." Itachi's lips pressed together in a thin, straight line. "About _age._ Izanagi-sama help me." 

"And how's this related to your encounters in Ame?" Orochimaru cut over smoothly and Arashi had never felt so thankful of the slithery bastard before. 

"Well, you see..." Arashi began.

* * *

_-An hour later: Karin-_

Somehow, this day had turned catastrophic. 

Arashi-nii was having private conversations (and he _rarely_ did that) and she had to physically hold herself back from eavesdropping. She probably would've if it wasn't for her Kumo-sized suspicion of the two Konohan.

They were staying for so _long._ Didn't they have shinobi stuff to do? Their presences were crying of 'elite' and their general stances and uniform seemed so crisp and professional that she felt the urge to bow before them.

Of course she didn't. She was an Uzumaki.

And besides, she was already pissed at how they looked at her. Like _hell_ she was going to accept their short, pitying glances at her scars. 

Nevermind her internal aggravation, the two Konoha shinobi were still a threat. Even if Mask-san was a shameless pervert who couldn't take obvious social cues and looked like he had zero drive. Even if Creepy-eyes-san was a little hilarious in his occasional stuttering and awkward social interactions. They were still a threat to her family and so, she will not eavesdrop and instead, use a constant Kagura Shingan to search for threat.

Arashi-nii had just given her a happy, approved look after he returned from their private conversation, facing Tenzo to resume smashing him in shogi.

Soon after Tenzo lost the game for the tenth time, Arashi-nii's chakra had halted. The entire room- sans the two Konohan- was instantly on alert (those Leaf Nin didn't know Arashi-nii like _they_ did).

Karin flared her Kagura Shingan and felt an overbearing chakra signature flickering towards them. Though it was masterfully hidden and tucked away, nothing could fool her ability to detect presences.

The man who was approaching them... was strong. Stronger than the two Konohan in the room with them. 

As strong as Tsunade-shishou and Orochi-sama. 

A Sannin.

(Like she said, catastrophic.)

* * *

_-Jiraiya-_

He didn't expect the door to open after he had knocked.

"Come in." The red headed man that Jiraiya had spent long nights pondering over said quietly. His Godson did not meet his gaze and his voice was lacking of the cold bite he had been expecting.

Jiraiya had never felt so unnerved and cautious before as he followed Arashi through a narrow corridor.

"Huh?" Iwa's S-Rank squinted when Jiraiya entered what looked like the lounge room. "Who is _that_ old man, danna?" 

He was about to bristle at the casual dub of 'old man' but decided not to- he was here to personally retrieve Kakashi and Tenzo after all. (And to confront his Godson.)

The Uzumaki girl was sitting cross legged on the floor, reading a scroll while Deidara was channelling unholy amounts of chakra into what looked like... white glue...

He gave a cursory glance at Uchiha Itachi, an enigma he was already sure he had solved out. He turned away before he balked, eyes moving back to confirm his sight.

Itachi was humming- _humming?-_ slightly as his black eyes scanned casually over a cook book by the stove. And... was that plate full of towering pancakes? His sleeves were rolled up and his hair was tied in his usual low ponytail, there was an apron tied around his waist with a huge cartoon print of a dango over it.

Interesting.

Kakashi and Tenzo flicked in front of Jiraiya in curt bows, ""Jiraiya-sama."" They both murmured under their breaths, barely audible. Jiraiya raised his brow when he noticed the lack of ANBU masks.

The Uzumaki girl whispered something in the blonde boy's ears and when he sent chakra to hone his senses- "-baka, that's Jiraiya of the Sannin. Be careful, he might be our enemy cuz Itachi-nii and Arashi-nii's chakra are feeling off." The infamous Uzumaki Kagura Shingan, was it?

"Jiraiya?"

Annnd the WOMAN OF THE YEAR raised her head from a pile of books- since when did the hime do something other than drinking and gambling anyway? "What're you doing here?" 

Jiraiya prepared to declare his intention before a silky, calm voice interrupted him.

"Is it not obvious, Tsunade?" 

Jiraiya mechanically inhaled- he expected this, he expected this, he... wasabsolutelynotpreparedtoface-

"Orochimaru."

Jiraiya tried not to make his anxiety appear on his face. Maybe the talk with his Godson would have to wait, there was something else he'd need to figure out first. 

"It's been a while hasn't it, Jiraiya?"

The friend and Teammate he had spent years chasing after gave a demure curl of a lip.

* * *

_-Orochimaru-_

Jiraiya was a fool as always. 

What was he thinking? Stumbling into this nest of fatal snakes...

"Now that's... something you'd need to explain to me, Uzumaki Arashi." Jiraiya warily said.

Orochimaru gave a dainty huff, "There's nothing to explain about, fool."

His mind was telling him to explain everything and declare his innocence- if then, maybe Danzo could finally rot in the nasty place of a hell he deserved. But his heart... (that weak, sentimental thing) had stopped him for no good reason.

Was it guilt? Slapping away the hand that had reached for his back for decades and still counting? Was it spite? Or stubbornness? Either way...

"I have no role in this gathering." Orochimaru promptly turned away, sleeves billowing as they followed his arms, walking out of the room-

"Hold it right there, Orochimaru." Tsunade, that crude woman, grabbed him by the scruff of his kimono and viciously yanked him to hang awkwardly next to her. Orochimaru slapped her hand away with no little irritation.

"Do I look like a _mongrel_ to you, Tsunade?" He hissed as he dusted his clothes with a sniff. 

"You look like a scared puppy who was running away with his tail between his legs." Tsunade snarked and Arashi did a spit-take, Orochimaru gave him a warning glare- that red menace and his two brats would _never_ live that down if they had heard about it. With a cursory glance at the two children on the other side of the room, he absolutely did NOT give a sigh of relief.

Lucky those two were so immersed in their sparky Play-Doh.

Orochimaru gave a sigh before elegantly dropping onto the sofa, "Well fine then, Snail, Frog-" At Jiraiya's choke, he reprimanded himself for going back to the old insulting nicknames, "-What is it that you wish to discuss about?"

His old teammate paused, "Well, everything?"

Tsunade gave a tut, "Stupid as always, aren't ya, Raiya? Fine, wanna start with Danzo or-"

It was at that moment when the two children snapped to attention. The word 'Danzo' had never failed to catch their negative attention after all.

"Oh, we are _not_ gonna listen to this conversation again." Karin groaned, dragging Deidara out with her. "It's been, what, the fourth time we've had to explain this?"

"C'moooon, Busu, it's always fun to see their reactions hm."

"Shoo shoo, let them have their secret-Sannin-plus-Shizu talk." 

"What about Mask-san and Creepy-eyes-san?"

"It's Tenzo please" "At least call me Inu" The two voices deadpanned at the same time.

"Black-abyss-of-death-eyes-san." Karin amended remorselessly. 

"Orange-book-with-shitty-plot-san." Deidara added. "Hm."

"Ridiculous." Orochimaru couldn't help saying and he was aghast to realise that it sounded nearly- _nearly_ fond.

"...You've changed, Orochimaru." Jiraiya started and Orochimaru vaguely thinks that maybe it did come out sounding a tiny bit too affectionate. Ew. He was getting feelings.

"No shit." Tsunade took a swig of her sake- she had actually gotten Arashi to permanently print a storage seal onto her arm for immediate sake access- ludicrous! For all his teammate always forced him to eat all his food, claiming it was 'good for you', she was the one getting drunk on a daily basis.

"Now, you want me to explain or Shizune to explain?" Orochimaru turned a superficially bored look onto the white haired man.

"Why not Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked, looking hesitant.

"Because I end up ranting." "Because she ends up ranting." "Because Tsunade-sama ends up ranting." 

The three of them speak at once.

"Uhm, ok, uh Shizune then?" Jiraiya nodded nearly meekly and if it weren't for the severity of the issue, Orochimaru would've laughed.

And so, for the quadrillionth time, the story came out again.

* * *

**OMAKE**

Orochimaru and Jiraiya are having a legendary reunion while Kakashi is vehemently defending the honour of Icha Icha.

"It has good plot, excuse you, little twerp!"

"Hatake Kakashi!" Itachi barked and both Tenzo and Kakashi jumped from the uncharacteristic shout. However, when they faced the Uchiha teen, his face was stoic and calm as always. "Please do not speak of such matters with Deidara." 

Kakashi opened his mouth to talk about the brilliance of the masterpiece when Tenzo slammed a hand over his mouth- mask. He gestured violently at Itachi's wide, challenging stare. 'If you say another word,' His stare seemed to say, 'I will gut you and soak your sacrilegious novel in your blood.'

Itachi then turned an almost motherly smile down onto Deidara, "Where did you learn of that abominable series, Dei?"

"Oh, Onoki used to keep a stash in his office all the time, hm!" Deidara beamed up at Itachi and Kakashi felt a sense of foreboding as the Uchiha suddenly went quiet.

Across the Nations, the Tsuchikage suddenly shivered.

* * *

_-An hour later: Arashi-_

"You've been talking for so long with Obasan and snake-face." He rolled his eyes as he finally faced Jiraiya one on one. Arashi'd been expecting the confrontation since he first felt his presence. "I guess old people are really like that. Getting too drawn into your tea party."

He ignored how Tsunade sneezed from the room next door.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

...Are the first words that come out of Jiraiya's mouth. Arashi focused on not stiffening.

"Am I meant to know who that is?" Arashi countered smoothly as he leant back into the chair. 

"Did you know Uzumaki Kushina?" Jiraiya's eyes are trained on him and Arashi felt the urge to hasten along the conversation- but that was probably what he wanted, it would be too suspicious.

Arashi gave Jiraiya a _look-_ as if to say 'fine, I'll humour you' even though he was internally dying.

"Kushina, huh?" Arashi closed his eyes and pretended that the word didn't rip apart his chest. "I knew her, I don't think she knew me." He could feel a part of his chest cramp violently at that nonchalant sentence. "Maybe she'd met my mother before but I was just exiting infancy around that time." 

Inside though, he was raging that- 'Kushina _was_ my mother, god damn it!'

Jiraiya eyed him carefully, "She has a son." 

Arashi carefully and purposefully stilled, letting a few seconds of silence pass. He closed his eyes with fatigue.

Then...

Violet orbs opened with a tinge of anger in them, "And?"

Jiraiya gave him a surprised look before his expression blended into an unreadable one. Arashi acted completely comfortable and confident while the seconds rolled by. Though inwardly, he was seething. What did Jiraiya want him to do? Adopt Naruto? What was his words trying to do? Provoke a reaction?

"I really can't one up you on this, can I, Arashi? I never suspected your deception skills to be so well trained." Jiraiya said with a chuckle that was suspiciously lacking of ulterior move. "I should've guessed that that way wouldn't have worked against you. After all, you're my student's son."

Arashi's mind screeched to a violent stop.

Wait.

"I know who you are."

Wait.

"You told me before. I do not know of your student either." Arashi's tone turned slightly defensive and he inwardly reprimanded himself for the slip up. It was probably a misunderstanding. There was no way that Jiraiya knew... right?

Of course not. Of course not. There was no need to panic.

In a desperate attempt to diverge the conversation, he let suspicion, wariness and curiosity bleed into his tone like how Ino had once showed him how to. "Who's the Naruto you spoke of?" 

Shattering Arashi's vain hope of manoeuvring the conversation, Jiraiya uttered with complete seriousness:

"You."

Arashi felt himself wheeze an exhale. Jiraiya continued, relentless.

"You're Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, my Godson."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rn im just speeding along. i think im planning for the work to end at around 40 chapters lmaoooo but if i keep on speeding thru everything, it might b shortened to around 30


End file.
